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

Maisie

darderfallas wrote: »

Just a question on this - if you are rebanded following a reassessment, does this mean that you can claim money back for water/sewerage rates for the same period? This is also based on the banding. If anyone knows, please post a reply

I think there's been a discussion before about this. It's either on Success thread or further back on this thread.

colcfc

colcfc wrote: »

For some time I had suspected that my house was in a higher council tax bracket than my neighbours. Thanks to the publicity given by Martin Lewis and the subsequent advice found on this website I found out that indeed, in a street with some 70 terrace houses, mine was the only one in Band C. All others are in Band B or A if converted into flats.

I wasn't completely surprised when the Valuation Office turned down my appeal stating that I was over the six months time limit for appeal. They did however state that they were obliged to investigate further to ensure that 'the band is fair and consistent with other similar properties in the area'.

I received a letter from the Valuation Officer this morning, some two months later, saying that the review was complete and that they did not agree that a different valuation band should be applied. They then went into great detail telling me why this was the case based on the price the property would have made in April 1991.

My problem is this. I can't actually disagree with their findings as I agree that the house would have fallen into Band C based on price alone. However, why should my house be singled out from a street with 69 similar properties to be charged a higher rate? I would defy anybody to walk along our street and pick out my house as being any different to the others.

Have I still got grounds to complain? The latest letter says that there is no right of appeal against this decision. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has had a similar experience.
Thanks.

As a follow up to my post above you may be interested to know that, having left the letter sitting on my desk for a couple of weeks, I decided to give the Valuation Office one more ring.

I ran through the details briefly with the person on the other end of the phone who offered then to have a word with the officer assigned to my case. He said that he would ring me back later that afternoon.

About an hour later my phone went. He had spoken to the person concerned and they agreed that I would be changed from Band C to Band B! Just like that!

This morning I received a revised bill from the Council showing a total credit of over £1200, and to think that I nearly gave up.

Don't let the b*****ds grind you down!!

cattie

A quick question if someone can help. Today I received form from valuation office in response to my email a few days ago.

On the form it asks if your house has been extended since 1993 & while mine has been extended to the rear, I have no idea when it was done. I bought the house in 2002 & all I know is it was already done & I believe it was done many years before that & in all probability prior to '93. So, shall I just put no in answer to this question as I believe that to be the truth.

Thanks if you can advise.

Maisie

colcfc wrote: »

As a follow up to my post above you may be interested to know that, having left the letter sitting on my desk for a couple of weeks, I decided to give the Valuation Office one more ring.

I ran through the details briefly with the person on the other end of the phone who offered then to have a word with the officer assigned to my case. He said that he would ring me back later that afternoon.

About an hour later my phone went. He had spoken to the person concerned and they agreed that I would be changed from Band C to Band B! Just like that!

This morning I received a revised bill from the Council showing a total credit of over £1200, and to think that I nearly gave up.

Don't let the b*****ds grind you down!!

Colcfc. Well done.! Perseverance paid off.

I just can't understand how voa works. Seems a toss of a coin more or less determines whether you get rebanded or not. How can a decision suddenly be changed like that? Glad it was though.

Maisie

Pocoyo

Hello, I was wondering whether someone could give me some advice on which way to approach my situation. I have lived in my house since 1999, it's and Edwardian end terrace (one of four). Three of the houses are band B (mine included) and one is band A.

I have recently demolished an old garage on my property which was in situ in 1991 (and a long time before too!). So, I could apply online on the grounds that I have demolished the garage as it is #1 of the 13 circumstances under which they will allow an appeal online. Alternatively I could appeal on the grounds of the fourth house being band A, as I understand it potentially receiving a refund on the difference backdated to 1999. Have I got this right?

jamesiebabie

cattie wrote: »

A quick question if someone can help. Today I received form from valuation office in response to my email a few days ago.

On the form it asks if your house has been extended since 1993 & while mine has been extended to the rear, I have no idea when it was done. I bought the house in 2002 & all I know is it was already done & I believe it was done many years before that & in all probability prior to '93. So, shall I just put no in answer to this question as I believe that to be the truth.

Thanks if you can advise.

Cattie,

I suggest that you proceed with caution. You need to find out when the extension was done. If it is post 1/4/93, then you may be in trouble. You need to think how big the extension is and how much you think it is worth interms of a percentage. This extension if it is of a reasonable size may put up your band and not down as you wish.

You may be able to contact the planners at the council to find out when it was completed as it would have hopefully been signed off by the council and it will have received a 'completion notice'.

I would not return the form until you have found out, or if you are feeling brave do as you suggested.

One other way is to PM me and I'll help. Maisie will back me up hopefully. There are other ways.;)

jamesiebabie

Pocoyo wrote: »

Hello, I was wondering whether someone could give me some advice on which way to approach my situation. I have lived in my house since 1999, it's and Edwardian end terrace (one of four). Three of the houses are band B (mine included) and one is band A.

I have recently demolished an old garage on my property which was in situ in 1991 (and a long time before too!). So, I could apply online on the grounds that I have demolished the garage as it is #1 of the 13 circumstances under which they will allow an appeal online. Alternatively I could appeal on the grounds of the fourth house being band A, as I understand it potentially receiving a refund on the difference backdated to 1999. Have I got this right?

I gather you demolished the garage within the last 6 months, if so then you're right, appeal. You have nothing to lose. My main area for concern is that I have a feeling that the Band A is probably a mid-terrace, am I right? If so, then your appeal is not as clear cut as it may suggest as end terraces are generally worth more than mid-terraces.

If you are outside of the 6 months limitation to appeal, then I suggest you write in and request a band review.

It is always worth a go. All the best. Lewt us know how you get on.

Pocoyo

Thanks for your reply. The only problem is we are an end terrace and the property which is band A is mid terrace. I'm not sure whether that will affect things. I'll give it a shot anyway as there is no way we will be moved to band C.

jamesiebabie wrote: »

I gather you demolished the garage within the last 6 months, if so then you're right, appeal. You have nothing to lose. My main area for concern is that I have a feeling that the Band A is probably a mid-terrace, am I right? If so, then your appeal is not as clear cut as it may suggest as end terraces are generally worth more than mid-terraces.

If you are outside of the 6 months limitation to appeal, then I suggest you write in and request a band review.

It is always worth a go. All the best. Lewt us know how you get on.

jamesiebabie

Pocoyo wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. The only problem is we are an end terrace and the property which is band A is mid terrace. I'm not sure whether that will affect things. I'll give it a shot anyway as there is no way we will be moved to band C.

Pocoyo,

Good luck and keep us informed. If you need any help, just post on here and we'll do our best to help.

J

Dribble_2

john1984 wrote: »

I'm new to this thread. Found out 3 weeks ago that my semi -detached neighbour, and 2 other houses in our row are in band D but I am in E. I bought my house in August 1991 for £90,500 to include carpets. Thanks to one of the contributors in this thread I was referred to the Council Tax Regulations which said that "the effect of any fittings is to be ignored". I'm not sure how to take this. Does it mean that they have a value to be deducted from the sale price? If so, this could help a lot of people on the borders of a band.
By the way my whole estate has errors. Told a friend of mine about the fact that her neighbourwas a D band and she was E. She now has a cheque for nearly£2000! There are 16 other houses that could do the same!

Hi john1984

I think you may have a bit of a struggle ahead. You are so near the 1991borderline £88,000. But you could play on the fact that prices were going DOWN in that period (Which they will admit to....being as they use that argument so often to fend off many banding change applications)

Jump in,mate - join the fun....but watch your blood pressure !