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

vivatifosi

Hi arunadasi,

Welcome first time poster!

I would still write in to the VOA and explain the above. There are restrictions on who can make a full appeal (six months or less residency being one of those), however you can still ask the VOA to 'maintain an accurate list' and state that you feel that your banding is wrong based on exactly what you've outlined to us here. If they disagree with you, there isn't really any room to take the matter further, but from what you've described it's still worth a shot.

maureenvincent

Have read lots of posts/replies but can't find similar situation. Of 14 houses in this road, 6 are 2-bed semi dormer bungalows and 8 three bed semi houses. Why would we all have been given same banding - they have more square ft of space. We have been here since 1991/1993 and no houses have been sold in recent times on which to gather late valuations.

lincroft1710

Maureenvincent - Although the two house types may sell for different amounts, they could still fit in same band, e.g. 2 bed could sell for £70K, and 3 bed for £85K and both would be in Band D (range £68,001 to £88,000 based on 1991 values).

edinburgh12

New to this forum, please take easy.I live in lothian scotland.Made proposal on line for rebanding in sep 08.two weeks later recieved letter from assessor valid proposal,then again an other letter in mid Dec08 saying (I hereby inform you that i have referred it as an apeal to local valuation apeal panel,you will recieve formal notice of hearing in due courseand same time explaining the procedure to be followed)Any one can advice me please that what will happen next.they will call me to committe meeting also what type of prepration i have to do.how they have apeal meetings?Please advice me as much you can.Thanks

edinburgh12

New to this forum, please take easy.I live in lothian scotland.Made proposal on line for rebanding in sep 08.two weeks later recieved letter from assessor valid proposal,then again an other letter in mid Dec08 saying (I hereby inform you that i have referred it as an apeal to local valuation apeal panel,you will recieve formal notice of hearing in due courseand same time explaining the procedure to be followed)Any one can advice me please that what will happen next.they will call me to committe meeting also what type of prepration i have to do.how they have apeal meetings?Please advice me as much you can.Thanks

catshack28

Hi Lincroft

Thanks for the feedback, my 1192 sale price was £87,500 so would be borderline D with little risk if any of being bumped back up to F again.

I have found out that probate records only give headline figures for the whole estate (at least those publicly available) but will be getting this one as it is possible that the house was the only assett.

I'll let you know how I get on.

vivatifosi

edinburgh12 wrote: »

New to this forum, please take easy.I live in lothian scotland.Made proposal on line for rebanding in sep 08.two weeks later recieved letter from assessor valid proposal,then again an other letter in mid Dec08 saying (I hereby inform you that i have referred it as an apeal to local valuation apeal panel,you will recieve formal notice of hearing in due courseand same time explaining the procedure to be followed)Any one can advice me please that what will happen next.they will call me to committe meeting also what type of prepration i have to do.how they have apeal meetings?Please advice me as much you can.Thanks

Hi edinburgh12,

Apologies that you've waited a while for a reply, I don't know the system in Scotland as my appeals have been in England. As nobody else has answered, I'll tell you what it was like in England as my understanding is that the system is broadly the same.

Before the appeal I was able to get a DVD from the Valuation Tribunal Service of what would happen and what the format would be. If you can get one, this was very helpful.

I was given a time for my tribunal though this was broadly to say mine was in the morning session. The VTS called me the day before to arrange an actual time. The tribunal itself took about an hour.

In the tribunal there were three tribunal members, a tribunal clerk, the Listing Officer from the VOA and me. Members of the public are also allowed to sit in, though in practice they didn't.

I had to submit five copies of my evidence (one for each person attending), plus keep my own. It is important to have a good idea of what evidence you are going to present and keep an order to how you are going to present it (I kept this on a separate piece of paper). If you forget to mention anything in your evidence it cannot be seen as admissible, no matter how vital it is to your case.

The tribunal panel will welcome you and ask you who you want to go first. I found it helpful to make the VOA speak first, as if they had any points that they raised that I wanted to counter in mine, I could add them to my list and bring them up when I presented my evidence.

The order is therefore - one side puts their case, then the panel asks questions and asks the other person for questions. Then the other side puts their case and the panel asks questions as does the other side. After that, both sides sum up what their case is and why their case is compelling. Per my note above, you can't add anything, only sum up what you've said already.

The tribunal panellists will then wrap up the proceedings. If the Listing Officer stays in the room, it isn't to discuss the case, it's because they probably have multiple cases that day and will be setting up for the next one.

The key thing to do is to make that you have a good case, well argued. Don't rely on house price calculators, get good, local evidence for house prices where you live, using the recommendations elsewhere on this thread.

Above all, don't worry, stay focused, do your research, have a plan and you'll be fine.

lincroft1710

Catshack - in the area I live your 11/92 price would suggest a 4/91 price in excess of £100K. So clearly Band E, I'm afraid. Price drop then was pretty horrific.

lincroft1710

Viva - Looks like there have been some changes to VTS procedure in 3 yrs since I was presenting cases. Our VT worked on first taxpayer to arrive at hearing had their case heard first, and if taxpayer represented by agent, agent had to wait until unrepresented cases had been heard. VT also insisted that VOA presented their case first. Scottish valuation panel is a separate entity to VTS and IMVHO their website isn't that helpful, but others may disagree.

manxmonkey

I see GD Cox says that no worries about re-banding if you extend. We built a tiny one room extension for my Mother (although subsequently she hasn't moved in) consisting one new room with kitchen in corner and a shower room off, access is through an existing bedroom. They valued it as a NEW SEPERATE DWELLING, even though heating etc is all just part of main house. We caused a bit of fuss and wrote in but they said the boss herself had looked at it and it was the policy of Wychavon (borough where we are) to rate all extensions.
We were promised an appeals form but it never came and we are too stressed in other areas to chase it but I feel absolutely conned.