Council Tax Rebanding Advice Please!...

Addz

My friend has checked their Council Tax banding for their house and it is Band E. Their next door neighbours house (the adjoining house as they are semi-detached) are Band D. At least 2 other identical style houses in the street are also Band D.

According to the VOA website, most of the houses with Band D had this changed on 01/04/1993. Would I be correct in saying that Band E was giving to the entire street, and these homeowners originally challenged the Banding and got it reduced, but the rest have remained 'as is'?

None of the houses in question are now owned by the same owners who occupied them back when the evaluations were first carried out (so I cant just ask them did they challenge etc).

When I use the Nationwide house price calulator to get the 1991 price, it actually falls way into the Band C category!!!! Even putting in the most expensive price a simliar house has gone for on the street in still puts in comfortably in Band D.

The houses are only 2 bedroom, but the design of them makes the look larger as they are double fronted etc, so would have easily been mistaken for a much larger house if a '2nd gear' evaluation was carried out (i.e. the houses are wide, but don't go back that far).

My friend has also owned the property for 5 months, so I assume she needs to act quickly before the 6 month deadline?

Does she have a strong case for appealing? Am I correct in saying the appeal can be lodged online? Or does she need to contact her local office? Is there any specific wording that should be included?

Any assistance on this would be great!

lincroft1710

Your friend can appeal on line and does have a good case, providing her home is identical to neighbours, i.e. hers hasn't been extended. In more expensive areas Bands D and E are quite possible for 2 bed houses. EAs who were employed to do banding in 1992/3 did have full details of the vast majority of houses they were asked to band.

Nationwide (and Halifax) HPCs aren't very accurate.