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

guppy

Hi Purplepixii,

Congratulations! (not sure if that's the right word to describe having found out you were overpaying). Presumably one of your neighbours has complained and the VOA have realised other bands are wrong too.

Your local council should now automatically refund the money to you. They will have been informed at the same time as you. Best bet is to give them a ring.

I see you're on the South Coast. If you happen to live in Brighton, you may have problems, the council there sound very unpleasant and tightfisted judging by posts on this forum.

Some people have also claimed interest from the VOA but I think this depends on whether it was a valuation error or maladministration on their part.

originalwurzel

I moved house about 18 months ago and after a little digging, it seems like I was in the wrong band at my old propertey. Can I still claim against this?

Maisie

originalwurzel wrote: »

I moved house about 18 months ago and after a little digging, it seems like I was in the wrong band at my old propertey. Can I still claim against this?

See Zebedee's post #1654 above.

saverram

Hi everyone,

I have recently appealed againt my Council tax banding . We like in a bit posh apartment close to city center in 1 bed room apartment. Currently our ct is band E . i have done the research and appealed againt my band . I have sent a letter to VOA on saturday showing printouts from upmystreet and rightmove that the average property in 2003 is with in band C ( We live in wales).
Today i recieved a letter saying they want to inspect the property for CT purpose? should i be worried abt it ????

Any experiences on the above are appreciated.
saverram

aquawater

Hi
I know we recently had are council tax system looked at over here, but when our new valuation (1991 valuation) came in the post earlier this year our rates payable was much lower than what we have been paying for the last 10 years !!! This was no surprise as my house is small but in an area of mostly large houses and we were banded with them. Can I claim the difference back in the same way as people from England and Scotland?

Purplepixii

Hi Guppy

We're not in Brighton thankfully, I hope we don't meet a similar problem here though! Mind you, I'm up for a fight if we do!

Purplepixii

Terminater

:eek:
Hi,

I purchased a new build four bed-detached property in March 2007 at a price of £179k and it was placed in Council Tax Band “D”. The property I moved from was valued at £200k, was under the same Valuation Authority and was in band “C”; therefore I believed the new build property to be in the incorrect band, as I could not believe it would be valued at £68k, had it been built in 1991. On contacting the VA, with this argument, also sighting the Nationwide calculator and other arguments, I was told it was correctly banded as “D”.

I then found on the VA website that there were three of the same style new build houses, as mine, on the same estate, listed in band “C” with Effective Dates of December 2006. I therefore sent the VA a letter stating this and asking for my property to be placed in band “C” also. They wrote back last month, again stating that my property was correctly banded as “D”.

Now on checking their website I find that the three other properties have been moved up to band “D”. There is nothing listed under the “Court Code”, so I feel a right cad as it must have been as a result of my letter.

I was under the impression that the VA cannot re-value property, once valued, unless the property is sold or the owner requests a re-valuation, even if the property had been valued only 6 months ago. Therefore can they legally move my neighbours from Band “C” to “D” or could it be that they have just listed them as “D” and they are still only paying “C”?

I have just read the "thisismoney" artical "The backfiring council tax complaint" 17th July, which seems to indicate that it is legal and that this is the VA,s way of fighting back against Martins followers.

Looks like I’ll have to await a tribunal, any suggestions on how to play my hand would be appreciated.

Kind Regards
Terminater

guppy

saverram wrote: »

Today i recieved a letter saying they want to inspect the property for CT purpose? should i be worried abt it ????

Personally, I don't think you have cause to worry. Band E seems a bit steep for a 1 Bed...can't see them putting it up any higher!

Do you know if other 1 Beds are banded the same in your block? The VOA may suspect they have the wrong details for your flat, it was probably banded from plans orginally and different plots do get mixed up occasionally.

Failing that, it may just be the person dealing with your appeal wants to see the flat and the development to judge for themselves what it is like. If they didn't think you had a hope they probably wouldn't bother, so at least you know they are taking you seriously.

It might give you a chance to highlight any negative factors and put across your arguments in person.

Good luck!

Sorry, aquawater, don't know anything about valuations in NI

vivatifosi

Terminater,

I have won a tribunal on the same basis as yours. What happens with new builds is that developers offer incentives to sell you a house. For example, they may have sold you a house with a new fridge freezer, carpets, legal fees paid, part exchange, etc. These things together can add up to £000s in value. However, they don't necessarily let the VOA know what was offered on what house.

The first thing you need to know is what price was paid for what house. You can do that from one of the many house price checkers. Then check what band each is in on the VOA website. You will probably find that those in a lower band were either sold at a lower price or at a different time. If they were sold at a different time then the VOA will argue that prices went up between then and your house being sold and that's why they are lower. So the long and the short of it is to speak to your neighbours and find out what incentives were offered.

As an example, where I live one house was sold for £2k less and was in a lower band than its identical next door neighbour. That house was sold for extra because it included a £2k voucher for new furniture. The laws say all of that has to be stripped out for the purpose of valuation - so check your incentive values.

Finally, if some of the lower band houses have garages in a block but you have one attached to your house, then that could also explain the difference. Garages that are not within the boundary are not included for council tax purposes, whereas those that are, are included. Where I live the differential effect on price is currently £11k, so another big difference.

Hope this helps. And whatever they tell you about their valuation being right, doesn't mean a tribunal will uphold it.

Roger_Bar

My wife and I are on a low income and have benefited from CT Benefit. However, since our son went to university last autumn, the Benefit has been drastically reduced and the Council wants to reclaim Benefit already credited. I don't feel richer having the kid at uni, and in fact he's with us half the year. Anyone have any idea of a legal way to reduce this tax burden ?