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

brightonbuoy

grace21 wrote: »

Hi Brightonbuoy,
It's so fraustrating!!! I suppose I'd better write to our local VOA even if I know what the answer is!!!
Perhaps we need to join forces when it gets to court. Let me know if your happy to do this.
I just can't believe how our council are behaving....
Have a good holiday.
Grace

Hi Grace
Sorry for the delay in posting. I have started proceedings against the Council in the County Court as the Limitations Act is just not applicable to our situation. I will let you know in due course how I get on!!! Wish me luck!!

delboy1164

delboy1164 wrote: »

hi all
please could someone help me out

i brought my house in oct 1991 for £27,000 ( i still have the original receipt from my solicitor) but my house is in band B
they have refused to change my banding to band A so far

i have contacted the valuation office and they said sorry is over the 6 month period to claim so i appealed.

i have a notice of hearing for this wednesday 3rd october to appeal against the council tax invalidity notice

i cannot think of any reason to appeaal to this but will they take note of the receipt from my solicitor for the original purchase price or they not there to hear about that?

or am i just wasting my time now

or is there any thing else i can threaten them with (eg contacting local MP or some other court etc etc

please any help would be gratly appriecated :money:

WENT TO THE HEARING TODAY DID NOT EVEN HAVE TO GO IN THEY SORTED IT OUTSIDE THE HEARING MY BANDING HAS BEEN LOWERED TO BAND A

JUST GOT TO WAIT FOR THE BIG FAT JUICY CHEQUE

THANK YOU ALL

caris

Hi

After contacting the VOA and them changing our council tax band from B to A we have received a refund from the local council, which did not include any interest, we contacted them and they have sent us the following email**.

It would seem that we are not getting any interest, can anyone please tell me who should pay us the interest that has accrued over the years for the overpayment?

Thank you in advance
caris



**Thank you for your email.

I regret to inform you that there is provision to pay interest on refunds by Councils under Council Tax legislation.

The bands of properties are set by the Valuation Office which is part of the Inland Revenue, the Council has no jurisdiction over bandings of properties. The Valuation Office decides what properties should be banded and at what band, they decide the rates for businesses, they add or remove properties from the lists. The Council have to abide by the band that the Valuation Office provide for each property and adjust the band when advised to do so, the Council only sets the charge for each financial year.

The Council has always billed you correctly at the band provided by the Valuation Office and have adjusted it accordingly when advised to do so and refunded the difference.

I hope this clarifies the situation


Rebecca Twine
Revenues Officer

vivatifosi

delboy1164 wrote: »

WENT TO THE HEARING TODAY DID NOT EVEN HAVE TO GO IN THEY SORTED IT OUTSIDE THE HEARING MY BANDING HAS BEEN LOWERED TO BAND A

JUST GOT TO WAIT FOR THE BIG FAT JUICY CHEQUE

THANK YOU ALL

Fantastic news! Thought your case would be hard to argue against. Well done!

ZINXYX

Hi
I am a full time student in my final year of studies;however I have been working full time lately and as a result have been able to get mortgage on a small flat not much just £77000.
I am filling out my council tax student discount for the year.I just want to know if being an owner student will affect the discount?
Thanks

guppy

brightonbuoy wrote: »

Hi Grace
Sorry for the delay in posting. I have started proceedings against the Council in the County Court as the Limitations Act is just not applicable to our situation. I will let you know in due course how I get on!!! Wish me luck!!

Thanks for keeping us updated, for what its worth, I'm 110% convinced you are right with this one and think it is outrageous how the council have treated you and others. Sadly I'm not the judge or even a lawyer

Best of luck! :T

Keith1956

Hi Caris

Please check my earlier posts but essentially, first write to the Customer Service Manager at the VOA requesting the interest. If you get a rejection then write to the Chief Executive's Office. They will consider your request. I have been successful and so have others.

All the best.

Keith

jackiep_2

I appealed against banding back in March/April time this year, as most neighbouring properties were band C, we were D and doing the checking it appeared that we should have been right in the middle of a C. The banding was agreed and dropped to a C, refund received etc.

However my friend then proceeded to appeal against her banding (also a D), was refused and then almost immediately the VOA wrote again informing me that we were being raised back to a D again as that was 'in line with similar properties in the area'. However I have just checked again, most neighbours are still band C and the valuation backdating still places us in band C.

Is there anything I can do about this? My initial understanding was that they were revaluating properties in the area generally, however they only appear to have reversed the decision on my property. Has this happened to anyone else? Can anybody give me any advice on this?

Thanks

guppy

jackiep wrote: »

I appealed against banding back in March/April time this year, as most neighbouring properties were band C, we were D and doing the checking it appeared that we should have been right in the middle of a C. The banding was agreed and dropped to a C, refund received etc.

However my friend then proceeded to appeal against her banding (also a D), was refused and then almost immediately the VOA wrote again informing me that we were being raised back to a D again as that was 'in line with similar properties in the area'. However I have just checked again, most neighbours are still band C and the valuation backdating still places us in band C.

Is there anything I can do about this? My initial understanding was that they were revaluating properties in the area generally, however they only appear to have reversed the decision on my property. Has this happened to anyone else? Can anybody give me any advice on this?

Thanks

Hi,

You have a couple of options. Firstly you could complain about the way you have been treated. Someone clearly messed up quite badly somewhere along the line. Did the council try and claw back your refund?

Secondly, you may be able to formally appeal the band increase to a Valuation Tribunal. You would probably need some evidence of 1991 prices for this though.

Good luck, there is plenty advice about the appeal process further back on this thread.

Guppy

jedeye

A bit of a dillema.....

The newly built block of flats that I live in consist of 2 one bedroom, 3 two bedroom, and 1 3 bedroom flats.

I've just looked and probably correctly the two one beds are in band B and the 3 two bedroom flats are in band C; but the 3 bed is in band B!

I can't figure it out! It is a single old lady who lives there but any discount for single living should come out later shouldn't it?

If I challenge my banding could the old lady be changed to the higher band?

Also, do you think the house price range in 1991 is proportionate to today i.e. the range in 1991 for band B is 40-52k. All the flats in my block were bought between 165 and 200k. If we multiple 40-52k by 3 we get the range 160 to 208k? Does this mean that everyone in the block could be in Band B?

Thanks for any help!

jedeye