council tax band change

Northants_Simon

Not sure if this is the right forum for this, sorry if not.

I received a letter today from the VOA telling me my council tax band has gone from D to E, which is a £320 increase.

The letter went on to explain they had looked at house prices in the area in 1991 and found a similar house would be £95,000. I have in front of me the original documents from when the house was built in 1996. It was sold new in December 1996 for £79,995. One of the cheapest on the estate as it only has a single drive and all the others have a double drive. My neighbours houses were around £82,000 new. The road behind mine has a house exactly the same as mine, yet that is still a band D.

I have phoned the VOA and explained that my house was sold for just under £80k in '96, which is a long way short of their valuation of £95k some 5 years earlier (and in a recession). They weren't very helpful and just said they took an average 4 bed house within a 5 mile area and looked at the sold prices in '91. That doesn't take much into account, their house could be bigger, have a large plot, double garage etc. They said they can't (or won't) tell me which houses they looked at, in fact they didn't want to give me any information at all (like which of my neighbours houses have also changed band).

I completed the online appeal form, but that doesn't allow you to attach any supporting information like the paperwork I have from my solicitor about the price the house was when new.

Does anyone have any knowledge of these appeals? Will I get a chance to supply my supporting paperwork? Do I stand any chance of getting my house back to a D band?

lincroft1710

I'm ex VOA and dealt with CT appeals for 12 yrs. In my area 96 prices were lower than 91. VOA will know what size the houses are, by law though they cannot divulge house prices until a certain stage is reached in appeal process. They will know what price your house sold for in 96 so you don't have to supply any evidence of this.

You can check band of any house in country on VOA website.

Have they just increased the band because they believe it to be too low or have you just bought the house.

PasturesNew

Prices were higher in 1991 than 1996.
Martin has a special document/forum for dealing with council tax rebandings - telling you what to do.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change

Northants_Simon

PasturesNew wrote: »

Prices were higher in 1991 than 1996.
Martin has a special document/forum for dealing with council tax rebandings - telling you what to do.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change

Thanks for that. Would a house worth £79k in 1996/7 really be worth £95k in 1991?

I remember 3 bed semis being around £45k in 1991 in my area, I can't see a modest 4 bed detached being worth double that.

PasturesNew

Northants_Simon wrote: »

Thanks for that. Would a house worth £79k in 1996/7 really be worth £95k in 1991?

I remember 3 bed semis being around £45k in 1991 in my area, I can't see a modest 4 bed detached being worth double that.

I don't know your area, I know I was charged £52k for a studio bedsit in a council road in 1990/91 though. Prices are different everywhere. You need to do your research.

poppysarah

You need to look at properties identical to yours and see what band they are (VOA sites lists the council tax banding)