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

Walrus

I'm in a bungalow, the only one in the street, which is obviously detached. The rest of the street is band B but are generally three bedroom places. Just because I am a detached bungalow, albeit with two bedrooms (or one and an office!) I am band C.

On the Calculator the rice falls within the B band in 1991. Do you think I would have decent grounds to appeal?

jamesiebabie

Rooster_Booster wrote: »

I have had my property rebanded and received a cheque. So far so good.

How can I check that they have correctly calcultaed whats due. ????

Historical Council Tax Band data going back to 1993 would be a help.

Is this online or do I have to request this info.

Any one know the answer ????

Ta Rooster

R B,

You should be able to go back to your local council and ask for a breakdown of the over payments. you can specifically ask how they have calculated it all.

J

jamesiebabie

Derek_Rowbotham wrote: »

Yep got close on £1700 back from them part by cheque the rest on credit to my council tax account, but I feel greedy and need to know can I get interest back from the council because mine would be in the region of £960 as I have been in the property for 18 years

Good luck Derek,

This is probably the most difficult part, but it has been done by others. If you need any advice please ask on this thread and I'll try and help if possible. I have helped others in the past.

J

jamesiebabie

Walrus wrote: »

I'm in a bungalow, the only one in the street, which is obviously detached. The rest of the street is band B but are generally three bedroom places. Just because I am a detached bungalow, albeit with two bedrooms (or one and an office!) I am band C.

On the Calculator the rice falls within the B band in 1991. Do you think I would have decent grounds to appeal?

Walrus,

Sorry about the price of rice [your typo]. This one does sound a bit more border line than most and maybe a bit more difficult as bungalows have always been well sought after. Bungalows would generally have a slight premiuim, however saying that there is always a chance. You could really doing a bit more research and getting to know your area and find out if there are any more bungalows in your area and write down their address and have a luck on the VOA website and see what band they are in, especialliy if they are akin to your own. If any are in a lower band you will have a reasonable chance I would suggest. If you cannot find any sinilar ones, then it maybe a trip down to the library to have a look at the old local papers, to see what they are worth.

Another suggestion is to work out as a percentage, how much different is the value of your property as opposed to those other houses on the street and then see if you can find out what they were worth back in 19991 and then apply your difference and that may give you another way in.

I hope that helps a little.

J

aMeLia'S~MuMMY

aMeLia'S~MuMMY wrote: »

:A I thought that I would challenge my council tax bill as I have been paying council tax band C since I moved in in 1997 (£52,001 - £68,000) and it had come to my attention that my next door neighbour was paying band B ~ sure fire winner I thought!!!! I even provided evidence that when I bought my property it 1997 it was valued at £49,000 so I thought would be well within the band B.

Well i get my reply today telling me that my council band will be staying the same and the evidence I have provided does not mean anything due to the fluctuations in the market, however from my estimations I don't believe that my property would have been valued at more than £52,000 nearly 6 years prior to it being valued at £49,000.

It says that I cannot appeal my decision ( unless we meet certain criteria ~ which would you believe we don't!) but is there anything else I can do, or is there any other evidence I can get from anywhere to challenge this ?

Basically is there any way forward other than forgetting the whole thing?

Any help will be greatly appreciated

:A

I posted this a while ago and had no response from you helpful peeps, is that because there is really nothing I can do?

please let me know so i am not left wondering
Cheers

Rooster_Booster_2

Thanks J

Will give it a try.

Ta Rooster

jj.johnson

Can anyone tell me if it's ok to be told you have no right to appeal after an initial claim for re-banding has been rejected?
Another flat in my block was successfully down-graded last year, i'm trying to get the same...

Zebedeee

aMeLia'S~MuMMY wrote: »

I posted this a while ago and had no response from you helpful peeps, is that because there is really nothing I can do?

please let me know so i am not left wondering
Cheers

Hi

Is your neighbour's house the same as yours and are there others in the street the same as yours but with a lower banding? Comparisons seem to be effective arguments for many on here.

HTH

Zebedee

barnesy_2

I received a letter from the VOA this morning telling me that my proposal was made invalidly because it is out of time.

It says I have 4 weeks to appeal in writing with reasons why I think it is validly made and must write appeal against notice of invalid proposal at top of letter.

I also received a letter saying that although I have an invalidity notice they will review my council tax banding and have enclosed a form to complete about the property.

Can anyone kindly advice what I should include in my appeal letter and if I have a case worth pursuing?

Thanks

guppy

barnesy wrote: »

I received a letter from the VOA this morning telling me that my proposal was made invalidly because it is out of time.

It says I have 4 weeks to appeal in writing with reasons why I think it is validly made and must write appeal against notice of invalid proposal at top of letter.

I also received a letter saying that although I have an invalidity notice they will review my council tax banding and have enclosed a form to complete about the property.

Can anyone kindly advice what I should include in my appeal letter and if I have a case worth pursuing?

Thanks

I wouldn't waste your time appealing the invalidity notice if you've been in the property for over six months. The VO and Valuation Tribunals are very strict about the six month rule.

Instead focus your efforts on getting as much evidence as possible as to why you believe your property is overvalued. Useful info is 1990s sale prices of your house or similar ones nearby, details of inconsistent bands on identical properties nearby, and any other facts that help might convince the Valuation Officer about the property's market value.

The VOA will check the banding even if you don't do this and then write to you, but unless there is an obvious error they are likely to rebuff you. This thread is far more busy than the successes one

In my experience if you provide evidence that the value may be wrong, or as Zebedeee said, at least highlight inconsistencies in bandings nearby you stand a better chance.

The above also goes for those people that have been knocked back once already. They may say there is no legal right of appeal but if you can provide evidence, the VOA have to consider it. If you feel strongly enough you can phone up the person that dealt with your case or just write in and ask for a second opinion.

Pretty much everything has already been discussed on this thread if you need more info.

Good luck.