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

tedwade666

Went through all the steps as shown on the site. My house is banded E, my neighbours similar house is banded D. Went to the valuation site which on the current value of my house transposed back to 1991 says it should be band C. Applied to the valuation officer who to my knowledge has not visited my house and just received letter saying the house is band E and there is no appeal. Anything else i can do?

losgiganteskid

Hope either Zebedeee or Vivatifosi is still around. If you could look back to my posting numbered 2253 on this thread you will see you both kindly replied.

Since that date I have discovered that my immediate neighbour has at some time had her property down rated from band f to band E (which is exactly what I am trying to achieve) - does this mean that I have any right of appeal or tribunal ??

Zebedeee

Hi there losgiganteskid. Your neighbour being rebanded is good news for you. Do you know when it was? If it was in the last 6 months (or not more than 6 months before you first applied to the VOA) then you have an automatic right to a tribunal. If it's longer than this then you can't force a tribunal, but it is more power to your elbow. The VOA are not supposed to have inconsistencies in their listings, but as my own experience proves they are not against all manner of subterfuge to have things their own way.

Zebedeee

losgiganteskid

Thanks Zebedeee - the fight goes on !!

Not sure when next door had their banding reduced, but virtually certain it was well over 6 months ago. I have to say though that the two properties are chalk and cheese (we are not on an estate with identical houses) one a detached bungalow one a detached house - don't suppose that helps !

Zebedeee

tedwade666 wrote: »

Went through all the steps as shown on the site. My house is banded E, my neighbours similar house is banded D. Went to the valuation site which on the current value of my house transposed back to 1991 says it should be band C. Applied to the valuation officer who to my knowledge has not visited my house and just received letter saying the house is band E and there is no appeal. Anything else i can do?

This is a standard reply and they are hoping you will just go away.

You need to do more than just use the house price calculator tho'. You need solid evidence of actual selling prices of houses like yours in your area in 1991. You can find this in archived property pages of your local newspaper, often kept at the library. If you find that this evidence supports your rebanding request too, then its worth going back to the VOA with your new evidence and asking them too look at it again. Its also worth asking them to come and look at your property as they often have houses wrongly listed.

Hope that helps!

Zebedeee

beingjdc

Everyone has been so helpful I thought I would continue to share my thinking, let me know if it's boring you.

I have taken every property for sale or rent through Foxtons in our postcode area, and plotted the square footage against the tax band as follows - the bars represent 25% ranges. The pink line is us, so we clearly do not fit into the "F" range.



To explain why I have gone for Band C in my appeal, you also need to know that the postcode covers 31 of the Government's Super Output Areas, which measure how poor or wealthy an area is. The higher the number, the more 'deprived' on factors including income, crime, and means-tested benefits.

We are the second most deprived in the area, with an IMD of 46.31. The highest is nearby at just over 50. The lowest is the area overlooking the Thames made up of warehouse conversions, at just under 10.

Zebedeee

Brilliant diagram, beinnjdc! You are not boring us at all. I found that being able to bounce my ideas off forum members really helped me to get my case together. And your attention to detail is just what will help you to win. Good on ya!

beingjdc

Zebedeee wrote: »

Brilliant diagram, beinnjdc! You are not boring us at all. I found that being able to bounce my ideas off forum members really helped me to get my case together. And your attention to detail is just what will help you to win. Good on ya!

The thanks probably belong to my father. The diagram I originally made (as a scattergraph in Excel) looked much less impressive! I sent it over to him and he happens to have SPSS as he's semi-retired and doing a part-time degree in psychology and needs it for the statistical modules.

Oh well, tribunal must sit by end of August at the latest. Honestly I don't know why it's so hard for them just to look at the facts and realise they are wrong. Then I could plan a summer break of some sort without having to worry that I need to be here to argue my case... it would be the year I have the offer of free board and lodging in Rome, wouldn't it!

Zebedeee

Don't let it spoil your holiday plans - if they give you a date that is not convenient you can get it changed, no problem. Whatever you do, don't miss your holiday! The VTS are very understanding, unlike the VOA!

beingjdc

I know, but the lowest we could negotiate the backlog to (it took them a year to band us) is £300 a month, so I don't want to delay any opportunity to get it sorted...