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

lincroft1710

c-jay22 - although I don't know the area you are in, Band A for a recently built 3 bed semi with garage seems far too low, so I think you're right not to pursue matter.

Jessica_Rabbit1

I've just moved into an extended 5 bedroom house in Wales. Our council tax band is an F which would mean that according to the rebanding of council tax in Wales, this house would have had to have been worth £162,001 - £223,000 on 1st April 2003. I have just paid £165,000 for it 2 months ago and I find it impossible to believe that it was worth this much 6 years ago. As it's been extended from a 3 bed to a 5 I knew I'd have to be a bit clever with this one though.

I called our local VOA officer who sent me out a claim dispute form (you have 6 months from the date of moving into a new property to dispute the council tax banding) with a section to fill in on why you think your banding isn't correct. This is where it gets a little more complicated.

I went on Zoopla (as recommended by MSE Martin) to look for the sold prices of houses locally as this house had been owned from new by the previous owners. I found another house round the corner with the same postcode that has also been extended to 5 bedroom. Using the sold price of that property from March 2000, I was able to go onto the Land Registry House price index and get a free instant report (which I printed off and sent with my claim form) of the increase in the House prices from March 2000 to April 2003 (April 2003 is the date Wales use for the rebanding values). Using the Land registry HPI figures for that period I was able to work out the percentage increase over that time, which I then applied to the sold price of the house round the corner from March 2003. The result was that according to Zoopla's sold price and Land Registry HPI records, my house would have only have been worth £99,133 on 1st April 2003. That would make it a band D not an F, which is about £70 less a month!!!

I've only just sent the form off last week so I'm still waiting to hear, but I hope that doing my home work will make a difference. I can't see how the VOA can argue with the Land Registry HPI official figures.

Fingers crossed for me pretty please everyone xxx

cate_devine

I have just moved properties but believe I was in the wrong council tax band in my previous property of 4 years. Does anyone know if I could still reclaim?? Thanks in advance for any ideas!

SavingTide

belated thx for your post
(6 months ago!!)

I think I will check it out - I have nothing to lose it seems!!
*late reply due to..."life"!

I will let you know the result when I get round to it (hopefully sooner than 6 months):p

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Hi Saving Tide

House prices generally seemed to bottom out around 1995 but by 1997/8 in many places were back at 1991 levels. This may not be true of all areas. Only the VOA can say why you are a D and others a C, and I presume they're all semis or all detached. It is definitely worth checking if your band is correct, but you may discover that it is the others that are incorrect. The estate where I live has Band C and D semis, some Cs are larger than Ds as they have extensions of which VOA are unaware (approx 90% of the houses have some form of extension). So hopefully you should at least find out if D is the correct band.

lincroft1710

cate devine - it is far easier for current occupier to query CT banding, they will have actual right of appeal if they have been occupiers for less than 6 months. The exception being if you had extended the property as this may result in a band increase for new occ.

Although you could query CT band, unless you have good evidence to support your claim for a lower band, you will probably get standard "your band is correct" letter especially as you are no longer the CT payer.

Andofire

does anyone know how to accurtaly get a figure for the house in 1987 when it was built and then 1991
The valuation office has said it is banded correctly but i refute the price he has, how do i challenge him?

lincroft1710

Andofire - VOA has details of vitually every property sale in country. The details came in document form either from Stamps Office or Land Registry and were input into VOA computer, although for the past few years info has been downloaded direct from LR.

I am not sure from your post whether your home sold in 91 and you dispute the figure quoted by VOA, or you believe your home would not have sold for the band minimum it is in. If the former the VOA did have actual document, but I understand these are being/have been scanned into the computer.

If the latter you will have to find evidence to back your case which is not easy. Bands were calculated by use of actual 91 sales and finding houses which sold which are as near as possible in size, type and location. They would not have taken 87 sale price and used a house price index to find 91 value. HPIs are not very reliable in any case. I would suggest you try to find archived property sections of local newspapers which would give you an indication of asking prices. Also look at bands of nearby houses of a similar type and size as yours, if they are lower you may have some ammunition.

djheath

Does anyone think I have a good case?

I moved into a one bed flat in surrey heath in 2009. The flat was built in 1993 and the sale price in 1993 was £45,000 - I know this cos it was on the deeds plus, it's what comes up in the property price websites.

I am in council tax band C which should be for properties in 1991 with a value of
£52,001 - £68,000. Were house prices higher in 1991 than 1993?
My neighbours in the same flats seem to be in band C also.

Surely I should be in band B?

Hoe does council tax reclaiming affect properties which weren't built in 1991?

**EDIT*** Scrap that! I have just found next doors flat to be in Band B!!!! They changed in in 2008!!! Ooooooo!! I am challenging this!!! Come on two years of over payments!!!!!!

neustift

Hi there.

Just moved into a new place in fife and the street has a block of flats. The banding is very strange ! A for upstairs flat, B for the left of me and C for my flat. All are 1 bedroom flats built circa 1940s however slightly different layouts / size.

Looking at net prices I can see that the flat opposite which should be the same but "flipped" (not in a MP flipped but geometrically) That flat is Grade C also and had a sale price of £30,000 in sep 2003. This calculates to £16,477 in 1991 which is well withing the range of Band A not Band C !

Martin suggests though if neighbours check fails and vaulation passes it is not worth it.

I feel I should go for it. I am aware the prices could go up - what do people think?

I have printed off all relevant info and will be asking neighbours to see if the flats are the same layout / size / condition.

Cheers for any advice.

Many Thanks - and many thanks for all who have helped me so far.

G

lincroft1710

djheath - 91 prices were higher than 93 in most parts of country. But as next door is a B, it is certainly worth applying for band reduction.