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

Taffyscot

Hi thank you for that. The assessor did say out of time only 6 months blah blah. I do not understand that. How does this out of time thing work. When you buy or rent a new place you have no idea what should or shouldn't be the tax band you just pay it. It is only because of sites like this that people are becoming aware that they might be overcharged. Please let me know how you get on with the Assessors and what you did to make them review it if they did send you the standard letter. How much is the fee please? We are also thinking of moving ourselves and wonder what we can do to ensure that where we move we are paying the correct bandng.What are you basing your claim on to the assessors? If you could pm me with any extra advice I would really appreciate it. Thanks again Taffy

dmcm9

Hi Taffyscot

The Assessors arguement about being out of time is that when you recieve your first bill your Banding is on that and in the small print, (which nobody ever reads), is the details of your right to appeal the band. Although the internet gives us better access to the bands of other houses, the Assessors argues that this has always been available, either at the Assessors office, local council offices and the library, unfortunately very few people ever realised this!

But when you are out of time to appeal there is away to get your complaint dealt with and that is to point out that the Assessor has a statutory duty to ensure the banding of a property is correct, so if they do try and brush you off this is the route you need to go down.

I have gotten quite involved in my claim so it depends how much depth you want to go into. I took a drive round my town and noted down all the 3 bed, semis i could find and got their bandings from the Assessors website, this is www.saa.gov.uk. Then i used the www.scottishhouseprices.com site to get as many sales as i could around about 1991. I then submitted this list to the Assessors.

This information should be more than enough to get the band reduced as people on this site have had their band reduced on a lot less information but i am still waiting to hear.

The fee on scottishhouseprices varies depending on how many sales you ask for. I spent £10 but i didnt think that was too bad when i could potentially save hundreds if i get my band reduced.

I would strongly advise that you appeal your band a soon as you move in to your new house as if you get your appeal submitted within the 6 month time period it is far, far easier to get your case heard and you have the option of going to a Valuation Appeal Committee hearing if the Assessor still disagrees with your claim.

Hope this helps.

Taffyscot

wow thank you so much for that. Did you find a significant difference in the banding? You sound a lot like me my friends say I will not let it lie lol. Please do let me know how you get on and I would love to hear all of it. So the government website is free and the scottishhouseprice you paid for is that right? The trouble is I think all of the flats here are banded too high for the 1991 prices from what I can make out. Will maybe give it a try one of these fine days and see if I can come up with anything. If I do find anything out I will post on here the results that I paid for so that anyone else in my area reading this can benefit from not having to pay. Thanks again dm

teedy23

I have just this minute completed an online appeal form. I have stated that I believe an error was made in the original valuation of properties in my area. My property seems to have been placed in a banding that is £5,000 more than the valuation or selling price in 1991. I,ll let you know how I get on.
p.s. only one house in my street has a lower tax banding and all the houses are cottage flats, curious!

beingjdc

Well, here goes nothing - I rent a 77 square metre new conversion above shops in south london. 2 bed, 2 bath.

Locally, the 85 square metre 3 bed 1 bath 1 toilet council flats are Band B
The 83 square metre 2 bed 2 bath flat up the road is Band D
The 120 square metre 3-bed 2 bath semi with 80 foot garden is Band E
The three storey 154 square metre 5-bed detached is Band F.

We, apparently, are also Band F!!!

I have submitted the appeal today, claiming we should be in Band C. D I would have believed but been annoyed with, but F is absurd. I rang the VOA as I assumed they had misread feet as metres on the plans, but they were adamant.

CSL_2

I bought a very small new build Bellway (South East) Ltd, ONE BEDROOM Semi-detached house just 39 Square Metres interior floor area in September 1987 with a postage stamp size garden and allocated parking space. Paid £66,500. Its value according to www.nationwide.co.uk/hpi would have been about £62,992 on 1st April 1991 (well within a Band C value). Unfortunately, the VOA will not accept this evidence on its own. Problem is that there is not another single similar ONE BEDROOM Semi-detached house in the London SW4 area for comparison purpose.

1. Anyone know of a similar property - say in SE1, SE5, SW2, SW8, SW9, SW11, SW12, SW17, SW18, or SW19 that I could use for comparison purposes??

Photo link added 19th Nov 2007:-

http://journals.aol.co.uk/clivesteuk/convincing-the-voa-listing-offic/

2. Has anyone had a similar problems in providing this sort info to the VOA Listing Officer and if so, how did they resolve it??



CSL - London SW4
[EMAIL="Clivesteuk@aol.com"]Clivesteuk@aol.com[/EMAIL]
Saturday 17th November 2007

CSL_2

Terminater wrote: »

Hi all,
Three New Build houses down the road sold in Dec 2006 & Jan 2007 for £180k in Band “C”. I purchased my New Build house in March 2007 for £179k and it was placed in Band “D”. VOA states that the reason is that my house is 140M2 and the other three properties are 117M2.

My argument is, what has size to do with it? Council Tax Banding is supposed to be the price a house would have sold for on 1st April 1991. I would argue, that house prices have risen over the years by a certain percentage. They do not say that a property that is a few square meters bigger or smaller commands a different percentage increase. Therefore if the VOA is correct, on my property being more expensive in 1991, to justify a “D” Banding, it would be more expensive in 2007, not £1,000 less than the smaller houses. Any comments would be appreciated.
Kind Regards
John

Dear John,

Have only joined this site today and put my first post on the System. You are dead right. Everything on the VOA Website and associated information on the Tribunal (England) Decisions Website tells us that it is the price that a given property on the Open Market ADV would have fetched in April 1991. However, in reality they seem to be "ultra flexible" in their own favour, when it suits them!!

CSL
17th Nov 2007

Silverfox1954

Can anyone advise me if it is possible to successfully get a property rebanded and get a refund EVEN IF YOU HAVE SOLD THE PROPERTY AND MOVED OUT?

Silverfox1954

guppy

CSL wrote: »

I bought a very small new build Bellway (South East) Ltd, ONE BEDROOM Semi-detached house just 39 Square Metres interior floor area in September 1987 with a postage stamp size garden and allocated parking space. Paid £66,500. Its value according to www.nationwide.co.uk/hpi would have been about £62,992 on 1st April 1991 (well within a Band C value). Unfortunately, the VOA will not accept this evidence on its own. Problem is that there is not another single similar ONE BEDROOM Semi-detached house in the London SW4 area for comparison purpose.

1. Anyone know of a similar property - say in SE1, SE5, SW2, SW8, SW9, SW11, SW12, SW17, SW18, or SW19 that I could use for comparison purposes??

2. Has anyone had a similar problems in providing this sort info to the VOA Listing Officer and if so, how did they resolve it??

CSL - London SW4
[EMAIL="Clivesteuk@aol.com"]Clivesteuk@aol.com[/EMAIL]
Saturday 17th November 2007

Hello,

Can't help with comparable houses, I'm afraid. The best option for finding sales evidence seems to be estate agent's adverts from 1991 newspapers.

You could always phone and ask to speak with the person dealing with your case and ask them to justify the banding to you. If there are no comparable houses, what are they basing it on?

They can't tell you specific addresses, but there is nothing to stop them giving generalised information about their evidence if you push for it.

Have you tried looking at values of flats that offer living similar space to your property? I expect you'd have to add a bit on since yours is a freehold house though...how much value to add is a matter of opinion...

Good luck

guppy

Silverfox1954 wrote: »

Can anyone advise me if it is possible to successfully get a property rebanded and get a refund EVEN IF YOU HAVE SOLD THE PROPERTY AND MOVED OUT?

Silverfox1954

The VOA will only enter in to discussions with the current owner/occupier. But if they successfully get the band reduced, you get your share of any refund.

Send them along to this site