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

vivatifosi

hi destiny_star 2006,

I have just checked and the VOA website is up and running.

If you are having trouble just put in one bit of your address at a time and search on that (eg the street), you should be able to get to it that way.

MAXCAT67

I have recently had my request for re assessment rejected
We bought our 4 bed (new build) house in 2001 for £110,950 and since this date have been in band E. I did the valuation check - informed by VO that this is not a reliable guide(!) and the neighbours check. I found 4 houses of same type in band D, two five beds in band C and several other 4 beds in band C. Along with completed form I sent a site plan with these details highlighted and a valuation doc from a remortgage in 2004.
The VO called me first, to advise that my house would not be rebanded.
In the course of the discussion I was advised that my house was banded in E because of the sq footage(?) and that was the deciding factor NOT the value. Further, that they appreciated the info provided as they had been working with an out of date site plan - hence the anomalies!!!!!!!!!!
It would appear that all the houses were "valued" and banded from this plan - nobody has physically checked the development.
I still believe that I should be in Band D but have been advised that their decision stands - they are however, undertaking a review of the estate to correct the obvious mistakes!
Advise if any please on how to proceed
Also has anyone else found that properties have been valued from a site plan?

vivatifosi

Hi Maxcat,

It is very difficult for the VOA to value a new house given the changes in value being different all over the country and so square footage is a major factor now. However there should be an element of fairness if your neighbours' properties are identical and in a different band.

I would be inclined to check what was paid for your house originally versus those that are band D. As your house was bought new after 2000 you should be able to get this from one of the house price checkers such as nethouseprices or upmystreet. If your price is slightly higher then I'd look back through the incentives and so forth offered and try to show that you had more incentives (carpets, curtains, fees etc) included in yours. Under the Council Tax guidelines these are supposed to be stripped out.

My house was built new after 1991 too, and so I had similar arguments with the VOA. In my case I was able to show that my house cost less originally than others that were band D and eventually got my band reduced. Also bear in mind that they may try and put your neighbours' band up. So you may want to tread carefully...

One other thing I did was go to the library and find similar developments that were on the market in 1991. It isn't completely straightforward as houses now are a bit different, but you could certainly try and find a similar estate in a similar area that was on the market early 91 and see if you can establish a price under £88k (ie the top of band D in 1991) and show them that evidence too.

tracyanne_2

Can anyone help me? I bought my house in Sept 07 and in November the VOA put my council tax up to Band E from Band D because the previous owners put a single storey extension on the back. I've used the Nationwide calculator and should be Band D. I rang the VOA and they informed me that they dont place any reliance on houseprice calculators (especially the one used by Martin Lewis!!) because they cover large geographical areas and they are only interested in my postcode and because of the extension I am definately a Band E, however, he refused to tell me how they work out the house values in 1991 other than using estate agents records. He is sending me appeal forms but I'm wondering if its worth appealing. There are 23 houses in my road and only 3 of them (including mine) are Band E and he told me that this is not grounds enough to win an appeal.

Has anyone come across this problem and won before?

exvoperson

House price calcuators are only a guide so what you need to decide whether you are in the correct band is to get 1991 sales evidence. There is only one way to do that and that is to appeal against your increase (within 6 months of the notice to increase) The VOA will then provide you with sales evidence which should be impartial and include both high and low value sales.The VOA's knowledge of the sales evidence is normally very limited so sometimes its worth knocking on the doors of the relevant sales and get details of the accommodation etc. If you think the increase is boarderline between a D and E it could be worth taking the case to the Valuation tribunal but get as much information as you can on the comparable sales before the hearing.

winnanan

MoneySaving Newbie


Join Date: Mar 2008
Post Count: 2
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post



Confused and not sure what to do next! Yesterday I followed the advice on Martin's website and found out we are the only semi in our road on band D, the others are all C. However we've lived here for 20 years and had already built an extension by 1991. Many of the other houses have extensions too and some of them as large or even larger gardens too and garages which we don't and when i looked at house prices 2 of the four sold came out as band C prices in 91 and the other 2 as band D! Should I follow it up or not? Also we've recently had solar panels fitted so will they put up the band if they come to look at the house? Incidentally my husband has several times queried the band over the phone but we didn't know we were the only ones in D!! Any advice?
Stop press, after telling my hubby about it he said phone anyway & risk it, so I just did it. Nice lady at the valuations said it sounded as if we might have a case and she will look into it! Finger's xed!

ed71afc

I would like to know how they put a valuation on a brand new house, i am due to move in my new house at the end of the month and want to know how i can check its been given the right council tax band code can anyone help ?

MSE_Archna wrote: »

This thread is here to discuss the content of the article on Council Tax Cashback: reduce your band and save £1000s.

However if you have already followed the system, please use report them in the Council tax rebanding successes discussion.

Note from Martin: Thank you to all the contributers to the initial thread, which provided the genisis for the article. Much appreciated.

exvoperson

winnanan wrote: »

MoneySaving Newbie


Join Date: Mar 2008
Post Count: 2
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post



Confused and not sure what to do next! Yesterday I followed the advice on Martin's website and found out we are the only semi in our road on band D, the others are all C. However we've lived here for 20 years and had already built an extension by 1991. Many of the other houses have extensions too and some of them as large or even larger gardens too and garages which we don't and when i looked at house prices 2 of the four sold came out as band C prices in 91 and the other 2 as band D! Should I follow it up or not? Also we've recently had solar panels fitted so will they put up the band if they come to look at the house? Incidentally my husband has several times queried the band over the phone but we didn't know we were the only ones in D!! Any advice?
Stop press, after telling my hubby about it he said phone anyway & risk it, so I just did it. Nice lady at the valuations said it sounded as if we might have a case and she will look into it! Finger's xed!

With regard to solar panels I recently went to valuation tribunal on some eco homes with solar panels etc. The tribunal agreed with me that in 1991 such items were of little or no value because 1) energy prices were very low and 2) global warming was not known about by the general public. The VO should not include them in your valaution especially as you have added yours (i assume) since 1993

barrie81

halloweenqueen wrote: »

Oh well as I was last in with a comment on the thread - I'll start discussing on this one! I'm hoping I will get at least £600 back , not sure what the overpayments would have been over all the years, wonder whether they will break it down for me?
An alternative savings account I suppose!

I MOVED HOUSE OVER ONE YEAR A GO, CAN I CLAIM A COUNCIL REBANDING TAX BACK ON MY OLD HOUSE

shazspice

Just been looking at the VOA website and comparing my tax band with my neighbours, and i noticed that one of my neighbours house isn't listed on there. Its a newish house about 5 years old. Any reason why its not listed?