Wrong Council Tax Band

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pygmalion666
pygmalion666 Posts: 11 Forumite
in Cutting tax
Can someone help? There is lots of info on how to reclaim council tax if you were wrongly banded and I have followed all the links provided and calculated etc. My problem is I have been told I can only get it changed if I can prove a sale of an equivalent property in my postal area between 1989 and 1993 and all the sites listed that show historical prices and even the governments own info doesn't start til 1995 making it impossible to do this. Have they deliberately set it this way so we can't claim? The Nationwide calculator and sale prices from 1995 onwards all show the band I am in is too high but they won't accept it what can I do?

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  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,098 Forumite
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    That is because CT is based on the rateable value on 1/4/91, which is pre-internet in terms of the data you are looking for. So they have widened the range to 2 years either side of that date.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • pygmalion666
    pygmalion666 Posts: 11 Forumite
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    But as data is only available from 1995 the allowance of 2 years either side is no good for anyone who needs this (a cynical person would think this was deliberate). I would have thought showing that sales prices years later were still way below the band I have been put in would have been enough but clearly not. Does anyone know how I can get this information or is it simply impossible to challenge a wrong banding?
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,648 Forumite
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    edited 15 March 2018 at 2:57PM
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    macman wrote: »
    That is because CT is based on the rateable value on 1/4/91, which is pre-internet in terms of the data you are looking for. So they have widened the range to 2 years either side of that date.

    Nothing to do with rateable value (a term now solely used in connection with non domestic property). CT is based on the price a dwelling would sell for if it was on the market for sale as at 1 April 1991. In most areas, house prices from 1988/89 and 1990 will be higher than 1991 and prices from 1992 to 1996/7 will be lower. The nadir for prices was 1994/5.

    Until fairly recently actual sale prices of dwellings were not in the public domain, the government has permitted the Land Registry to allow the release back as far as 1995.

    Pygmalion, your band could in fact be correct. If you could give me a few facts re your band and sale price you are using I can advise further
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • pygmalion666
    pygmalion666 Posts: 11 Forumite
    edited 15 March 2018 at 8:54PM
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    Pygmalion, your band could in fact be correct. If you could give me a few facts re your band and sale price you are using I can advise further

    [FONT=Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif] My Council tax banding is Band C. An equivalent flat next door (2 Bedroom) in my block sold in Oct 1996 for £38,000. This is the nearest sale in my block for a 2 bedroom that I can find to 1991. Also using an online Nationwide building society calculator the estimate for 1991 is similar at £40,060. Therefore I believe my banding should be B and not C.

    [/FONT]
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,648 Forumite
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    Are the other 2 bed flats in your block also Band C? What about other 2 bed flats in nearby blocks? I would use that 1996 sale as a starting point, you can say that it shows Band B would be more appropriate.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • pygmalion666
    pygmalion666 Posts: 11 Forumite
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    lincroft1710 wrote: »
    Are the other 2 bed flats in your block also Band C? What about other 2 bed flats in nearby blocks? I would use that 1996 sale as a starting point, you can say that it shows Band B would be more appropriate.

    Basically there are two blocks here and the 2 bed flats are band C and yet all other ones in the area that i have looked at seem to be band B and we have no more facilities or any difference that I can fathom, its very weird. Sales prices in the area that I have been able to find post 1995 are all reasonably similar as well. Even in the next town along which has always had higher priced homes than us their 2 bed flats are band B. After all to get to band C our flats would have had to be worth £13,000+ more than the approx £38,000 they sold for in 1996. But finding a way to prove this is made very difficult with the time restriction imposed.
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,648 Forumite
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    pygmalion666 wrote: »
    Basically there are two blocks here and the 2 bed flats are band C and yet all other ones in the area that i have looked at seem to be band B and we have no more facilities or any difference that I can fathom, its very weird. Sales prices in the area that I have been able to find post 1995 are all reasonably similar as well. Even in the next town along which has always had higher priced homes than us their 2 bed flats are band B. After all to get to band C our flats would have had to be worth £13,000+ more than the approx £38,000 they sold for in 1996. But finding a way to prove this is made very difficult with the time restriction imposed.

    When were your blocks built? They may have been fairly new in 1991 and thus commanded higher prices. With regard to the price drop, the prices of some house types such as flats and 1 bed starter homes fell heavily from 1991 and didn't pick up until 1998. I remember some 1 bed house types dropping about 30 - 35% between 1991 and around 1995.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • pygmalion666
    pygmalion666 Posts: 11 Forumite
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    lincroft1710 wrote: »
    When were your blocks built? They may have been fairly new in 1991 and thus commanded higher prices. With regard to the price drop, the prices of some house types such as flats and 1 bed starter homes fell heavily from 1991 and didn't pick up until 1998. I remember some 1 bed house types dropping about 30 - 35% between 1991 and around 1995.

    Hi thanks for all your help Lincroft, our flats were built in the 1950's and from what I can ascertain the first time one of these flats were sold for a band C price was 2000
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,648 Forumite
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    It's definitely worth pursuing, especially if you can find a 1995 or 1996 sale of a Band B flat in another block at £38,000 or more.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • pygmalion666
    pygmalion666 Posts: 11 Forumite
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    lincroft1710 wrote: »
    It's definitely worth pursuing, especially if you can find a 1995 or 1996 sale of a Band B flat in another block at £38,000 or more.

    I will try and find one thanks again Lincroft
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