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

guppy

julians wrote: »

I've just had my property re-branded (down two grades!). MSE says I might be able to backdate a claim now since I moved in. In my case this was 25 years ago.

Do people think I could backdate my claim to 1991 when the system was introduced?

Council tax started 1st April 1993, so if your band has been incorrect since that date, then you should be entitled to a refund from that time. You should have received a formal notice from the VOA informing you the band has been reduced, which willl show the date the new banding is effective from. Hopefully it will be 1993

Unfortunately the council aren't obliged to pay interest, and neither will the VOA in most circumstances, unless you can demonstrate maladministration etc.

lincroft1710

julians - 2 band drop, possibly going back 16 yrs - drinks are on you then. Your council should automatically refund any overpayment, but as guppy says you can virtually forget any interest.

julians_2

The "Effective date of alteration" is 1st September 2008. I'm not sure why they have set a date only 6 months ago - I guess this limits my claim to 6 months :think:

lincroft1710

julians - what was reason given for the 2 band drop?

michael_lewis_williams

Moved to new property in 1997 costing £176000 which puts it in F band,but council graded it G.So I asked to be revalued and valuer came out and agreed to lower band to F but also a band A for a granny annex within the house.So now I am paying F&A bands which is £2950,wheras had I left it,I would be paying less!!Only way to pay less is to blank off granny annex s no one is using it..........any ideas?

lincroft1710

michaellwilliams - you may have to remove all kitchen fittings, cap off gas and water supply, plaster over and make good. BUT before you do anything check with council as to what your liability would be, as there are several exemptions/discounts where annexes are concerned. Also check that if you try to make it all one dwelling it won't revert to a Band G.

guppy

Michael,

I agree with Lincroft - see if you are eligible for an exemption. A Class T exemption would seem to fit:

http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/your-council/yc-council-tax/yc-exempt-properties/yc-class-t-unoccupied-annexes.htm

Good luck

Nurselayer

Thanks MSE and all the users who've posted on this. I recently contacted my local valuations office and they are sending someone to inspect my property this Friday. Apparently they had it down as a two bed place instead of a studio so I'm really hopeful that I might get a reduction in my council tax. I really wouldn't have known about this without this site. Once I find out for sure I hope to be able to post on the "Success Stories" thread. :-)

milliesdad_2

lincroft1710 wrote: »

milliesdad - I'm ex VOA and dealt with literally 1000s of Council Tax appeals and band reduction requests. The VOA has details of virtually every property sale in the country, so if you had sales for the same house several years apart it was great fun seeing just how inaccurate both Halifax and Nationwide guides were - average 10 - 15%.

By the term "remained in the same band" did VOA in fact mean the band had been appealed and either taxpayer had withdrawn appeal or tribunal hearing had determined band correct.

I personally would never, never have used comparable properties 15 miles away, let alone 40!!!! Unless of course the appeal dwelling was so different and unusual - but I don't think this applies in your case. Or perhaps nearest village is 15 miles away - and I don't think Wiltshire is quite that rural.

I would ask VOA for some comparables within 5 mile radius of your home.

Lincroft1710 - thanks for the response. We live in a brand new property on a development of 4 and 5 bed houses. Across the road (literally) is an established development of 3,4 and 5 bed houses, possibly pre-1991.....however, they have a Trowbridge rather than Staverton Marina postcode and would thus, I presume, be of a lower value than ours !!!!!!

On the newer part of our development (examples used by the VOA) there are no appeals that have been successful, though that is no great surprise since the site only opened in March last year !

On the older part of the development (2-3 years old) there are several smaller (3 bed) properties that have appealed successfully but not many of our size that have actually appealed - though this has changed over the last few months as we have made friends and discussed this with other people.

We have our appeal hearing at the end of the month and we know of 6 other couples in our street that are at the same time !

Incidentally, even taking accouint of a 10-15% inaccuracy by the Halifax and Nationwide, we are only then at the top of the Band D whilst we are currently an F !

If this price index is not accurate, where can I get information (other than the VOA) about actual house sale prices in April 1991 in this area ?

Thanks again

lincroft1710

milliesdad - I don't believe there is any publication/website which gives full details of actual individual house sales in 1991.

I think the estate opp yours would be good comparison. Cneck bands on VOA website or ask caseworker dealing with your appeal.

Settled appeals of similar houses are good evidence in support of VOA case, but Tribunal should take into account ALL evidence submitted by both parties.

If there are appeals on same house types, Tribunal may hear them together as 7 cases can take several hours and there may be other cases to be heard. If all 7 of you get together and discuss tactics/strategy then it does help to present united front.

Good Luck