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

lincroft1710

As you seem to have made a valid appeal, you have right to have your case heard by Vauation Tribunal and VOA will supply you with sales evidence which they believe will support Band D. What was difference in sale price of old and purchase price of new properties?

Mips

My Auntie received a letter today saying that they would be investigating this matter and would get back to her soon.. in the mean time, if she has any questions.. she can call them.

This is in response to my letter stating that the house was only purchased at £69k in 1987 therefore should be in a band E (not G).

Is this a positive letter or just a standard response? They haven't told her she is wrong!

vivatifosi

hberry2012 wrote: »

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

Hi hberry,

Moving from a band B house to a band D flat is not uncommon, particularly if, as you say the flat is newer (most likely built since CT was introduced) and/or in a better place. You can't compare your old place with your new, you need to compare your new place with other, similar or same properties nearby and see what band they are in.

It may well be that you have a chance of appealing, so don't feel too despondent at this news. Try and find out whether your property is the lowest value and therefore may be the lowest priced flat in the block, or find other similar ones nearby that are a C. That would probably be your best course of action. The VOA's argument is likely to be that all of the flats are banded consistently so you need to try and find a reason that wouldn't be the case. It is much harder to win a case where all properties are banded the same. Not impossible, but WAY more difficult, so you will need solid evidence to take this further.

silvermum

He moved into a 2-bed retirement flat in Sep 06.
It is Band E.

However he didn't ask for an assessment or anything until Q1 this year (2008). Unfortunately he didn't discuss it with me (and so i didn't have an opportunity to research etc) and the VO returned a 'verdict' of 'it's in the right band, based on the property value in 1991 - without saying what that 1991 value was).
My father didn't then challenge the verdict (a letter received in May 08)

I've now done a bit of research, and think there may be a 'case'
e.g.

- Based on the price my father paid in Sept 06 (£212k) a couple of websites have suggested the 1991 value would be £69K (not the £88K + value for Band E)

- Also there are two 'halves' to the retirement complex he lives on, and although all the flats on his 'half' are all Band E, the ones on the other side of the courtyard (20 yards away) are mostly Band D. There is at least one similar sized one which is Band D.

Problem is, now that the VOA has given a verdict, I'm not sure how we would go about challenging this - the letter seemed to suggest we couldn't?

Can anyone help?
Thanks

Mips

silvermum wrote: »

He moved into a 2-bed retirement flat in Sep 06.
It is Band E.

However he didn't ask for an assessment or anything until Q1 this year (2008). Unfortunately he didn't discuss it with me (and so i didn't have an opportunity to research etc) and the VO returned a 'verdict' of 'it's in the right band, based on the property value in 1991 - without saying what that 1991 value was).
My father didn't then challenge the verdict (a letter received in May 08)

I've now done a bit of research, and think there may be a 'case'
e.g.

- Based on the price my father paid in Sept 06 (£212k) a couple of websites have suggested the 1991 value would be £69K (not the £88K + value for Band E)

- Also there are two 'halves' to the retirement complex he lives on, and although all the flats on his 'half' are all Band E, the ones on the other side of the courtyard (20 yards away) are mostly Band D. There is at least one similar sized one which is Band D.

Problem is, now that the VOA has given a verdict, I'm not sure how we would go about challenging this - the letter seemed to suggest we couldn't?

Can anyone help?
Thanks

Hi

I have just done this recently - the second letter I wrote for my Auntie after they refused back in April last year.

She received a letter today saying they were looking into it - I sent the proof of purchase/signed mortgage ownership thing.

At least it wasn't a 'Sorry, the last decision was final letter'.

lincroft1710

Silvermum - If your father moved into flat 2 yrs ago, he is out of time to make formal appeal. £212K in 09/06 would suggest less than £88K in 91. Have known same flats in different blocks be in different bands, e.g. one block could be riverside or have sea views or be next to gasworks or M25. Ask VOA why 2 blocks in different bands. Other point - was it new flat when he moved in, some retirement apartments were subsequently found to be overpriced when first sold, and this high price could have influenced banding. Have to go now will post more this afternoon

lincroft1710

Silvermum - since your father cannot make valid appeal, VOA are not obliged to divulge actual 1991 sale prices, it breaks a confidentiality "agreement". When I worked at VOA, I would say to CT payers - " Flats of similar/smaller size in nearby blocks were achieving between £x and £y around 4/91". Some VOAs may give such info, others may not. If you do not receive satisfactory answers to your questions, you can complain to VOA Group Customer Service Manager, name and group address on VOA website - follow links Contact Us, or write to your MP, saying you do not think your query has been satisfactorily dealt with

DEVIS

I live in West Yorkshire and have been refused interest on my overpayment. Which area are you in?

caris wrote: »

Hi

We got a refund of £875 + £30. taken of this years council tax bill, leaving us nothing else to pay on this years bill after we won a reduction in our CT banding. We wrote to the VOA asking for interest to be paid on our overpayment, and they have just recently sent us a cheque for £50, they said that this was for interest on the overpayment and also included an amount for error on there part, does this seem to be a rather small amount paid to us?, if it is what sort of payment should we expect and what should our next step be?

Thanks in advance for all replies and any info
caris

lincroft1710

Devis - councils will not pay interest on overpayment, VOA will only pay (v. reluctantly) where there has been an actual error rather than change of mind and there is no obligation for them to pay any interest at all. For example, if you're in Band D (£68,001 - £88,000) and a review of evidence shows that similar houses selling £66K - £71K around Apr 91 and VOA decides to reduce band to C, then that is not an error.

Zebedeee

lincroft1710 wrote: »

For example, if you're in Band D (£68,001 - £88,000) and a review of evidence shows that similar houses selling £66K - £71K around Apr 91 and VOA decides to reduce band to C, then that is not an error.

Just out of interest, how is that not an error? The property should have been band C from the outset, ergo, error.

I can see how it wouldn't be an error if there had been a change in the area, but in the instance you cite surely that is an error?!