Council Tax Cost Cutting: reduce your band and grab any discounts Discussion Area

mariecc_2

I have noticed that Mim, David and several other postings have said that they applied to the councils for a reduction?:cool:

Has anyone applied to their council directly?

How is the council involved?

I contacted my council 2 months ago, and was told that they have nothing at all to do with the bandings!!


Is this correct?

If not, who do you contact in the council?:rolleyes:

Totally confused now and getting nowhere

mariecc_2

I have been using the n/wide calc for cutting council tax, my last house I bought in Nov 1994 for 94,995 new, valued in q2/3

I sold in 2003 for 177500, valued in q1.

But when I input the year I bought and the year I sold different price amounts come out!!!

I am only using my old house as a guide as a guide, to get information on the house I live in now.

Can anyone explain why the figures differ all the time ?

Maisie

mariecc wrote: »

I have noticed that Mim, David and several other postings have said that they applied to the councils for a reduction?:cool:

Has anyone applied to their council directly?

How is the council involved?

I contacted my council 2 months ago, and was told that they have nothing at all to do with the bandings!!


Is this correct?

If not, who do you contact in the council?:rolleyes:

Totally confused now and getting nowhere

Mariecc. The VOA set the council tax banding on your house. The council collect the council tax.

If your banding is wrong apply to the VOA. Then hopefully if you're successfully rebanded the council will make the refund of any overpaid council tax.

HTH Maisie

Maisie

mariecc wrote: »

I have been using the n/wide calc for cutting council tax, my last house I bought in Nov 1994 for 94,995 new, valued in q2/3

I sold in 2003 for 177500, valued in q1.

But when I input the year I bought and the year I sold different price amounts come out!!!

I am only using my old house as a guide as a guide, to get information on the house I live in now.

Can anyone explain why the figures differ all the time ?

mariecc. Are you putting 1991 q1 as one set of figures. That's the year you're trying to find the house price for. ie 1991q1 and £94995/1994q2/3
Same again for 2003 £177500 and q1 1991
Don't forget house prices went up a lot after 1993/94. That may account for the difference in figures.
Try and get what your house was worth in 1991 from other sources as the VOA won't take the calculator as evidence.

Look back at some of the posts on this thread and you can get lots of advice and probably answers to any other problems you may have.


HTH

Maisie

Penguinloz

pingua wrote: »

Gosh you know your stuff well!!!!

To be honest the area of extension is large so if we were to go up we would be the only house on the whole estate to go up from C to D- not a huge estate - house numbers go to 40. But the value of the house has not gone up that much with the extension.( Others have had extensions only upwards not outwards. We have no garden as such.)

With us it probably is boarderline so what do I do , fill in the form and write a letter with the above examples or just leave it and see what they do next ??

I mean it really is all wrong and wonkey. Bloody inflated house prices - if they ever re-value everyone will go up - how much more tax is it possible to take????????

If they have only just put it up a band, phone them and ask for proposal forms, as you have a right to appeal. then this will get looked at and you can give them your view, if they agree they will put it down, if not then you can take it to the tribunal service for them to confirm it.

guppy

mariecc wrote: »

I have been using the n/wide calc for cutting council tax, my last house I bought in Nov 1994 for 94,995 new, valued in q2/3

I sold in 2003 for 177500, valued in q1.

But when I input the year I bought and the year I sold different price amounts come out!!!

I am only using my old house as a guide as a guide, to get information on the house I live in now.

Can anyone explain why the figures differ all the time ?

Hello,

First of all, the calculator is only a crude tool. On their web page it says:

Please note that the Nationwide House Price Calculator is intended to illustrate general movement in prices only. The calculator is based on the Nationwide House Price Index. Results are based on movements in prices in the regions of the UK rather than in specific towns and cities. The data is based on movements in the price of a typical property in the region, and cannot take account of differences in quality of fittings, decoration etc. For an accurate valuation of your property we would always recommend you consult a local estate agent or surveyor.

Basically the calculator can't give you an accurate valuation of your particular house over several years. It takes all types of property that the Nationwide has granted mortgages on (houses, flats, character property, new build etc.) and then calculates the average increase in value over time for each major region.

Obviously fashions change, in particular a brand new house would have attracted a premium over a similar older one when it was first sold and some towns go up in value more quickly than others. Your house definitely doesn't seem to match the Nationwide's average.

Anyway, the 1994 sale is the best evidence because its closest to 1991, which is the valuation date for council tax. Use that with the house price calculator to get a rough idea of its 1991 value.

Use the calculator to get an idea if you might have a case for a rebanding but remember the VOA won't accept it as evidence alone. Unless the evidence is very clear cut you're likely to need details of actual sales around 1991 in your area to support your case. There is lots more info on this thread helping with that.

Hope this helps!

frugalpam

Just re-posting this - this time hopefully in the right place

Well, I've today written to the VOA asking them if they will do a reassessment of my council tax banding. I'm hoping I have a good case, but am wondering if I need to be gathering any other evidence together incase they turn me down and I want to appeal.
I'm in Band C, and feel I should be in Band B. According to the table in Martin's article, Band B houses in 1991 were valued between £40,001 - £52,000. I bought the house 6 years later in 1997 and paid £55500, so reckon it must have been worth quite a bit less in 1991 and therefore have fallen into Band B
I've got evidence of what I paid - both a Solicitors letter and also a copy of the HM Land Registry 'Transfer of Whole' document which shows the price paid for the house.
I've just bought a copy online of the transfer document from June 1988 from HM Land Registry, which shows that the house was sold for £30,650 i.e. 3 years before the bands were set.
I do think I have a strong case for being into Band B - what does anyone else think?

thanks
Pam

Maisie

frugalpam wrote: »

Just re-posting this - this time hopefully in the right place

Well, I've today written to the VOA asking them if they will do a reassessment of my council tax banding. I'm hoping I have a good case, but am wondering if I need to be gathering any other evidence together incase they turn me down and I want to appeal.
I'm in Band C, and feel I should be in Band B. According to the table in Martin's article, Band B houses in 1991 were valued between £40,001 - £52,000. I bought the house 6 years later in 1997 and paid £55500, so reckon it must have been worth quite a bit less in 1991 and therefore have fallen into Band B
I've got evidence of what I paid - both a Solicitors letter and also a copy of the HM Land Registry 'Transfer of Whole' document which shows the price paid for the house.
I've just bought a copy online of the transfer document from June 1988 from HM Land Registry, which shows that the house was sold for £30,650 i.e. 3 years before the bands were set.
I do think I have a strong case for being into Band B - what does anyone else think?

thanks
Pam

Pam. Are you in the same band as similar houses?

frugalpam

Maisie wrote: »

Pam. Are you in the same band as similar houses?

Hi Maisie - yes, I've checked, and the houses identical to mine are also in Band C. Is it possible we were all put in the wrong band?

Pam

mariecc_2

thanks Guppy and Maisie

I re did the m/wide keyed in my house as bought in 1994 and the Q1 1991 only problem is my house came out at £10,000 more in 1991.

I will try the route of papers and similar houses. It's just so laborious.

Many thanks for your help