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

Daisydoll

Sorry to not come back sooner, thanks lincroft1710 and vivatifosi, On the VAO website it has the Code C under court but doesnt have anything under history so I'm assuming they failed at getting it chnaged. As for it being worth more being end terrace, I doubt it that much. They are all the sme size and the other end terrace at the other end (there are 6 houses in block with roads either side) is in Band A. We bought it in 2004 for 91K so I looked and estimated value in 1991 was 38K. I have recieved a letter today saying they are reviewing my band so we'll see. I might take a trip to library if I can to see if I can find any archive house prices for that year. I think the previous owners bought it for 43K in 1993 but would need to check my records for that.

Oh and next door on other side of side street is 2 more properties(semi-detached) same size and style as ours apart from being semi's one is a shop on bottom floor and the other is a dentist and both them are Band A too. My mum alos has a property in the same road we live at 59 her house is 43, hers is bigger than ours slightly and hers is Band A. I really cant see that our Band is correct and will do all I can to get it changed.

I'll go and see if I can find records of the VT and come back here if I find anything out

Edited to add: As I phoned and gave some information about the neighbouring properties the letter I have recieved says please contact us with relevent information so would you send a letter staing as much info as you can? Or will they have it all from when I rang?

lincroft1710

Daisy - £43K in 93 would actually suggest higher price in 91. I presume the dwellings above shop and dentist are flats, which being flats and being above commercial property I would expect to be Band A. If you send a letter with all info then at least they have info on paper.

Daisydoll

will see if I can find date they bought house at, could be totally wrong. And yes shop does have flat above but dentist is on top floor with sandwich shop below so no domestic dwelling. Anyway still doesnt add up as other end terrace is Band A. I wish I could post a pic of row of terrace so you could see they are all the same, Im trying really hard to not get wound up about it all:mad:

Actually thinking about I dont think it was as early as 1993, cant find document now

lincroft1710

If you give postcode, can check on About My Place

darich

Does anyone know how to get around the 6month ruling that they use to decline a reassessment/rebanding?
I've written to the Assessor (I'm in Scotland) and he's declined it, we went to appeal and they declined it on the strength of his case that my claim was invalid because it was more than 6months after i moved into the property.

How do i get them to reband me if that's the stance they've taken?
I've provided evidence of 7 other identical houses within 250m and they're all band D (I'm E)

Any thoughts anyone?

vivatifosi

Hi darich,

I'm in England so not sure how this would work in Scotland where I know that the system is different. In England I would be looking through the Valuation Tribunal (VTS) website to find a successful appeal within the last six months that I could use as a basis to mine and tie in on the basis of relevancy. Not sure what the equivalent in Scotland is.

If you go back through this thread you will see that there has been discussion around the area of relevancy and what can be used, and the fact that it may be possible to use "looser" evidence than was previously thought the case. Hope I've explained that properly!

Good luck!

Mips

On behalf of my Auntie I wrote to the VOA and told them she should be in a band E down to the value of properties in the area in 1991 (she is in band G)

She paid £69k for it in 1987 and has lived there ever since.

They refused.

Today - over 12 months later, I wrote again to say that they are wrong and enclosed a photocopy of the price actually paid.

IS it too late?

lincroft1710

It is too late to make a valid appeal, and if VOA have already investigated band it is doubtful they would reinvestigate unless you didn't give them the info on the '87 price. I have to say that £69K in '87 does not suggest £160K + in '91, so something is wrong somewhere.

Mips

lincroft1710 wrote: »

It is too late to make a valid appeal, and if VOA have already investigated band it is doubtful they would reinvestigate unless you didn't give them the info on the '87 price. I have to say that £69K in '87 does not suggest £160K + in '91, so something is wrong somewhere.

Thanks for your reply. The '87 price was not given in April. I think though, the house is definitely in the wrong band and I would be happy with them dropping it to an F, however, the house from their own estimations should be in a E band.

The letter will be with them in the next few days so we shall have to wait and see I have got my fingers crossed for her, after all, if it is in the wrong band it is in the wrong band and they should change it. There can't be any argument. Hers is actually one of the smaller out of the properties there, some are gigantic with lots of land and double garages and they are in an F band

hberry2012

I may be a lost cause but any help will be welcome. I've recently moved properties from a 3 bedroom house (band to a 2 bedroom flat (band D). I've already appealed and they claim that the banding is correct even though the property is a lot smaller in size. I'm considering appealing against the appeal but I'm not sure if it would be any good. The other properties around are also band D although a higher price and is it a better area than my pervious property and therefore I could expect it to be greater.

Any helpful tips?

P.S Property consists of 1 double bedroom, 1 single bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 livingroom-come-dinningroom leading onto a small kitchen