VOA want to visit...

dfarry

Just spoken to the valuer.... she basically told me what I already knew really.... around the banding and how they compare against "similar properties sold at the time". I asked if I coulod have evidence of these sales and she said that they might be disclosed if I appear but are not covered by the freedom of information act so I can't see them now.

Asked if she could give me an indication of where our property was with the banding she said "middle to lower", considering the band is £40000 which in 1991 would have made a big difference I have assumed our home has been valued at around £135K.

I have asked for the appeal forms to be sent out but I really don't think I have a chance of getting anywhere with this.

lincroft1710

The £16K capital referred to isn't annual income but max savings allowed.

Council Tax isn't a payment for "services", it is a tax which goes towards funding local government spending.

As VOA only visited on Friday, it's very unusual to send a rebanding notice by the next "working day".

You can actually appeal on line. As a start, what did you pay for the house (it may have been a lot cheaper than other similar size houses), is the layout unconventional?

dfarry

Hi Lincroft...

Yes they didn't delay on the letter! we bought the house for £283k, I wouldn't say it is unconventional really although the layout has been dictated by the extension.

John_Pierpoint

dfarry wrote: »

Just spoken to the valuer.... she basically told me what I already knew really.... around the banding and how they compare against "similar properties sold at the time". I asked if I could have evidence of these sales and she said that they might be disclosed if I appear but are not covered by the freedom of information act so I can't see them now.

Presumably you have poked through a site like Zoopla and checked for similar sales in the area. You could also use one or more of the regional indexes to identify the change of prices over time so that a very small sample gets bulked out a bit. Getting back further into the 20th century requires pen and pencil work with the local paper's microfilm or the services of a firm or Surveyors/estate agents who have kept records, but that may not be cost effective for haggling over council tax.

I had to do a similar exercise in the mid 1990's so I could "haggle" with the district valuer over InHeritance Tax - I managed to get 25K off a valuation of 275K, though I still don't think it was enough in view of the fact that old people tend to die in poorly maintained less modernised houses compared with their average neighbours in similar houses. (In those days you could only buy values from the Land Registry down to the first part of post code and even then if the sample was very small they would refuse to sell it to you, in case you could work out individual contract prices:rolleyes:)
Of course your opponent the District Valuer had access to all the figures.(Someone has to police stamp duty - now Stamp Duty Land Tax) so they could produce individual "comparables".

Now in theory it is a level playing field; in fact your lack of "professional" expertise may be out weighed by the amount of time you can devote to your one case; you have no targets to meet and rents to pay. In the great sum of things you are very small beer and might get bought off with a band reduction, if your arguments can stand up.
(On the other side of the coin, when a bureaucracy makes a close run decision it becomes very resistant to re-open the case; it knows that it could turn into a real can of worms that could stretch over months).

lincroft1710

A recent sale at £283K would mean that prices were little more than twice those of 1991 according to what valuer said. Where I live we're probably 2.5 times 1991 levels (was about 3 times, 2 yrs ago).

My criteria for a Band F, double garage, en suite, and not next to a school, or would be in a very good area. An extended house would tend to be worth less than "purpose built" one of same age and size in same location. I think your home could easily be a "top" E, but not quite an F.

dfarry

Thanks for the comments.... no forms yet but this looks like it is going to be more grief! but I have to do it... we do have an ensuite and a double garage but as I have mentioned before we are next to school and on a very busy...... however those negatives for some people are huge positives for others. Jumping two bands for an extended house is it seems extreme.

dfarry

Had a bit of a surprise yesterday, I received a further letter from the VOA...

"As a result of your enquiry we propose to carry out a review of your banding. We aim to complete the review within 2 months of the date of your enquiry and we will write to you with the outcome".

It goes on...

"From the information you have provided it appears that you might meet one of the limited circumstances when a formal challenge (konwn as a "Proposal") can be made".

It then goes on to say that I need to make the proposal now even though I don't know the outcome of the review, if I don't submit the proposal now then I will not be able to appeal following the review.

So I need to get the proposal form back or appeal online. I'm not sure if they have just sent me a standard letter but it sounds like they have noticed something wrong with the higher banding (I hope).

lincroft1710

Sounds like standard letter and you should follow their advice and appeal.

dfarry

Have done... did it online.

dfarry

Have received confirmation now that the VOA are looking into my proposal... based on the points I raised.... I didn't really raise any points.... when I applied online I don't remember having anywhere to enter a large amount of free text..(other than I don't think they have taken into account local factors that detrimentally affect the value of the house.. so I'll wait to see what they come up with.