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

aimo

i checked my house value in 1991 and it was about £100 over the limit for band b, so i'm currently band c. My house is detached and the other detached houses in my street are all band c, but the semi's are band b. would it be worth my while to try to cut it down to band b (how likely am i to be successful?), and is there any chance that it will go up? Thanks!

CAN ANYONE PLEASE ADVISE? THANKS!

Kopite23

chicka wrote: »

Hi
I saw the above post the other day and am currently trying to get sold prices in 1991. I rang our local Land Reg Office (based in Preston) and the lady said she couldnt help and, when I asked if she could suggest someone else who could, she said no.
Maybe I just got someone who'd had a bad day-I assume this is where I'd get the info-I tried at the Library and managed to get a few selling prices but the microfiche wasnt that clear and I couldnt read most of them.
This is quite urgent now-I spoke to Listing Officer last week and said i'd get everything in writing to him. Any help will be most appreciated. :j
Many thanks

I rang the Land Registry (Gloucester Office) last week for the same reason and they said just send a cheque for £10 per property - got the impression this was a common request. Haven't done it yet 'cos I'm waiting for my latest reply from the VOA before I fork out the money but if one office can do it surely they all can ??

NightOwl_3

Hi, I applied for a banding change but was refused. I'm sure we are in the wrong band as everyother house around us is in a lower band and there is nothing special about us, in fact larger houses with more land (next door but one and a semi as well) are in a lower band. The council rejected our claim and say there is no right to appeal. This sound wrong to me. Can anyone advise how to appeal against the ruling? Thanks for any advice. Richard.

Zebedeee

NightOwl wrote: »

Hi, I applied for a banding change but was refused. I'm sure we are in the wrong band as everyother house around us is in a lower band and there is nothing special about us, in fact larger houses with more land (next door but one and a semi as well) are in a lower band. The council rejected our claim and say there is no right to appeal. This sound wrong to me. Can anyone advise how to appeal against the ruling? Thanks for any advice. Richard.

Technically speaking, that is correct, however the VOA has a duty to maintain its lists correct and fair. It sounds like they have made a mistake in your case. What you can do is write to them with your reasons for believing you are in the wrong band and ask them to reassess your band. Its not strictly speaking an 'appeal' but should hopefully have the same result!

Hope that helps!

Zebedee

NightOwl_3

Thanks Zebedee

Will try writing as spoke to somebody on the phone last time and they probably didn't take down half the information!

Regards
Richard

mushroom69

Great forum and I've followed the advice and now have a reduction in banding. What happens after you send off the letter to agree the reduction in banding ? I've been overpaying since 1998 , so will I get a refund from this date or from when the change in banding was agreed ?

guppy

mushroom69 wrote: »

Great forum and I've followed the advice and now have a reduction in banding. What happens after you send off the letter to agree the reduction in banding ? I've been overpaying since 1998 , so will I get a refund from this date or from when the change in banding was agreed ?

Depends on the reason for the reduction. If the Valuation Officer accepts the band has been wrong since 1993 then you'd get all your money back (as would the previous occupant hopefully). If its been reduced from a later date for some reason, e.g. a sewage works having been built nearby, it would be from that date only.

The relevant date and the new band should be on the letter.

Stephypoo

we are also having problems with challenging our banding, our close consists of 30 houses, our type is selling at 229,950 the house opposite is twice the sixe and sold for 295,000 in 2005 so how can houses with at least £70k difference be in the same band E , our last house in cambridge was exactly the same size as this one and it was a band D. I think when they assessed these houses when they were built in 200o just lumped them all as band E . Our council listing officer says we have no right of appeal which I think is unjust. I thought we were entitled to go to an independent tribunal or to be able to challenge the council tax charter. To me it seems so obviously incorrect but they don't want to pay out do they?

Ougs103

We are in band E and neighbouring properties are D. I calculated we should be in D based on 1991 values(85k.... so only just) but they said we came into E based on their 1991 calculations...... can i dispute this?

Dribble_2

Seems quite a problem obtaining 1991 sales figures for many people. In my case I may have been lucky but I simply strolled into a Chartered Surveyors office and explained my situation. He supplied me with addresses of a number of 'actual' sales for that year within minutes.
Really solid evidence,unlike 'asking prices' from newspaper ads etc.....