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

pingua

MarkH78 wrote: »

Hi

Ive recently started re-claiming/contesting my council tax banding
I found I was the only (mug) on a higher band to the rest of my Avenue/area.
It was turned down initially, I heard nothing for a while then got a letter saying a valuer was coming round.
She has just been round and I explained my reasons for contesting. She said that ours was probably higher because we have an extension on the back of the house.
The extention is not big and there are other houses in the area with similar extentions that are on a lower banding.

She basically took a few measurements then left saying that they would come back to us within a few weeks with an answer.
Does anyone know what my chances are at this stage? She gave me the impression that I didnt have a chance??

I am sure someone with better knowledge will be along soon but we are going through the same - the only house in a higher band on the estate!! Due to an extension and we are not the only ones with an extension.

I think it was post 1811 that said there was no 'rule' about size or along similar lines but I am just starting to look into this so if I find anything I will keep you posted.
Good luck with it.

marcossaving

I live in a victorian terrace comprising of 5 almost identical houses, I have used the valuation website and found that we are all in band C except 1! Does anyone know what the chances are of them putting up this neighbours band rather than reducing mine if I appeal? She is an elderly lady and I don't want to be the cause of financial strain!

Having used the 2nd half of the system, I found that 2 of the houses (my own and my next door neighbour would technically be in the wrong band, but the same calculation performed on the house at the other end, showed we were in the correct. This is probably because both of our houses were purchased whilst they needed (or were in the middle of) rennovation. However, rightly or wongly, if they think it is ok for one neighbour to be in a lower band, then we all should be in that lower band...but I am still concerned that they may just put the one neighbours band UP..can anyone help by shedding light on the matter?

Ta

vivatifosi

Hi marcossaving,

I went to tribunal and we had quite a big discussion about the state that the house has to be in. My understanding is that the VOA value the house as though it is in a reasonable state of repair. They therefore weren't willing to accept my costed and surveyor-based argument that I needed £000s of pounds worth of work done to my home and the Valuation Tribunal Service took that out of the argument (though thankfully I won anyway). So in that respect it may well be the case that you are in the right band.

In terms of the elderly lady's house, I would have the same concerns. It may be the case that she has some type of adaptations to the house that would make it disabled adapted. Such adaptations can lead to a reduced banding for houses. I'd still tread carefully though.

vivatifosi

bex32 wrote: »

Ok, have just read the article and am not sure if i have a case. We are currently band c which is from £52k based on 1991. We bought the house in 1998 for £49950 which would indicate that we are wrongly banded? When i checked the band there was history that it was band b then changed to c in '93 which i guess was when it was converted from a bungalow to a chalet bungalow then sold. The neigbours are a mix of b's and c's though predominantly b's. When i followed the nationwide calculator it bought up '91 price of £66k, is this more accurate than me putting what we paid for it in? Lastly we underwent a massive extension last year and the property is now valued around £200k so will we be put up several bands if someone comes round to value? Thanks for your time, still confused!!

Hi bex32,

What happens is that when a house is extended the VOA assess whether there is a 'material increase in the value'. That's why you would have been put up from a B to a C, and your calculations seem to reinforce this. There is a strong possibility that your band will be put up again, but not until you move. Check your address on the VOA website and see whether there is a little i in a blue circle next to it. If so, then your house is likely to be revalued when you move and the next person will may have to pay tax on a higher banding. The good news is that they won't do this until you move (unless the government decides to do a reassessment for the whole of England) so you shouldn't be hit with any extra charges. Hope that clarifies things.

vivatifosi

MarkH78 wrote: »

Hi

Ive recently started re-claiming/contesting my council tax banding
I found I was the only (mug) on a higher band to the rest of my Avenue/area.
It was turned down initially, I heard nothing for a while then got a letter saying a valuer was coming round.
She has just been round and I explained my reasons for contesting. She said that ours was probably higher because we have an extension on the back of the house.
The extention is not big and there are other houses in the area with similar extentions that are on a lower banding.

She basically took a few measurements then left saying that they would come back to us within a few weeks with an answer.
Does anyone know what my chances are at this stage? She gave me the impression that I didnt have a chance??

Hi Mark,

I'm not out to get your hopes up but I've seen a few similar posts in the past where people did get their banding changed. And if she doesn't change the banding I would ask for the reasons why not.

If the other extensions were built by people who are still there and yours wasn't, that may be the reason, as "improvements" that put up the value of houses only lead to revaluation once the property is sold. You got a valuer to come round... that's a great first step. They wouldn't even visit me. But I still won at tribunal, as I never tire of saying.... Good luck!!!!!

vivatifosi

pingua wrote: »

I am sure someone with better knowledge will be along soon but we are going through the same - the only house in a higher band on the estate!! Due to an extension and we are not the only ones with an extension.

I think it was post 1811 that said there was no 'rule' about size or along similar lines but I am just starting to look into this so if I find anything I will keep you posted.
Good luck with it.

Crikey Pingua, you know all the post numbers. Now that's what I call prepared! Guppy and Maisie sometimes do the same and it scares the living daylights out of me. I'd never have made it as a Girl Guide...

In my conversations with the VOA they are ultimately looking to fix the 1991 value, so the starting point will be price from then. If they can't find such data (and the possibilities of this are quite strong) then they need to look for the closest possible information that will inform their opinion, and size is one such factor, proximity to the property is another and the style of property is another (so you wouldn't ideally compare a 60s council house with a victorian terrace, even if the sq m was the same and it was in the same street). I love Guppy's thoughts on ugly houses too.

I wish someone from the VOA would post a definitive response to this. Come on... we know you're lurking... you don't have to use your real name... don't be shy...

llandod

vivatifosi wrote: »

.............The comments I have made below assume you are in England, as you refer to 1991 sale prices, though from your name I'm not sure if you're in Wales as the rules may be different.

You have a right to visit the VOA and ask for the evidence on which the pricing on your house is based, along with the one that's in the lower band. You also have the right for the same type of data on any other houses that you think you can use in evidence, up to the same number as they have put to you as their evidence or a maximum (can't remember if this is six or four) if the number they use is lower. I did this for my tribunal and the VOA listing officer said I was only the second person he'd seen since 1993 asking for evidence. It's your right and a may be a very powerful tool. They have to allow you this, though you may not be allowed to copy it, just take notes.

..........

Thanks for the info, yes I am in England, although the username may indicate my roots!

Great tip about visiting and seeing the evidence beforehand, will deffo be paying a visit before the big day - for anyone else thinking of doing it I found the legislation here http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1993/Uksi_19930290_en_4.htm#mdiv26

As I said before, I haven't yet found any useful 1991 sales info, although I have found average prices for my type of house in my postcode on the land registry site going back to 1995

http://www.landregistry.co.uk/propertyprice/interactive/ppr_ualbs.asp

Using these values I have found that for the 2 recent sales of my house that I know about, it was 15% and 20% under the average for my postcode thus allowing me to calculate a value based on the average in 1995. Does anyone know where I can find the % change in prices either regionally or nationally between 1991 and 1995 to allow me to calculate a likely value in 1991. I suppose it may well be that the Nationwide calculator is the best option.

Cheers,

Simon

vivatifosi

Hi Simon,

This should help do the trick:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/housingmarket/livetables/

If you are in the Eastern region you may still have a problem, as until some point in the 1990s I think that it was down as South East and East Anglia and then changed, so not a like for like comparison.

llandod

Nice one! Think I'll need to take a bit of time working through that lot!

MarkH78

vivatifosi wrote: »

Hi Mark,

I'm not out to get your hopes up but I've seen a few similar posts in the past where people did get their banding changed. And if she doesn't change the banding I would ask for the reasons why not.

If the other extensions were built by people who are still there and yours wasn't, that may be the reason, as "improvements" that put up the value of houses only lead to revaluation once the property is sold. You got a valuer to come round... that's a great first step. They wouldn't even visit me. But I still won at tribunal, as I never tire of saying.... Good luck!!!!!

Thanks for the reply
I really hope your right and it does lead to a change in band and a rebate would be a bonus.
She did make me feel uneasy as the first question she asked was why I thought my banding should be changed (with a funny look on her face)
I explained my reasons and she noted them, she concluded by asking if there was any other reason so I told her about this site (dunno if that was a good move) but it was being honest, why should i pay more than the rest of my street??
Its fingers crossed now and hope I hear some good news, if i do i will post the result
Thanks again