Council Tax reassessed on purchase

lincroft1710

Jackinbox99 wrote: »

All the work was done by previous owners, so its not a case of the bands being changed when a house changed ownership.

A CT band can be changed at any time. However as I previously posted if alterations are carried out the band can only be increased on account of these when the house is sold.

I'm ex VOA and in your case it sounds that either the previous owner didn't get planning permission or building regs or the paperwork got overlooked/lost and the VOA (Assessor in Scot) was not informed of the alterations. I have known cases where local councils report alterations at 24 High Street, we inspect and find nothing and it isn't until several years later that we find out it should have been 25 High Street. So you still may get a knock at the door!

RajaStyle

Thanks lincroft .... in your expert advice I should allow them access to asses otherwise they will increase it by more than they should anyway forcing me to allow them access and it will be me that pays the overpayment due to the previous owners making the alterations even though they will be assessing after I bought the property and the letter says these changes normally take place when you sell the place ? Hope that makes sense.

lincroft1710

Yes, sort of! VOA have deadlines and if it appears you are being unreasonable/obstructive about access, they will have to estimate/guess what works have been carried out. Very, very, very few people refuse access anyway and VOA will try to arrange mutually convenient day and time. If the property was banded too high (which would not be confirmed until an inspection or Tribunal hearing, a 2 band increase may be correct) then you would pay on the increased band until the matter was sorted out. If the band was too high then the council would refund any overpayment of CT. Bear in mind a person who is obstructive is always viewed as someone with something to hide and Tribunals don't take kindly to obstructive people.

So as you are going to have to let them in sooner or later, it is far simpler for all concerned to make it sooner. And as I said in my original post, the CT band may not increase.

My personal view is that rather than wait until a property which has had alterations is sold before reviewing the tax band, the tax band should be reviewed upon completion of the alterations (as it was in the old domestic rating system) and if it was increased, the current owner would pay and any subsequent owner would know that the CT band wouldn't change unless he carried out alterations.