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

guppy

blackfive wrote: »

It certainly makes a mockery of that when you consider that all sales with values have been available on the internet in the public domain since 2000. I've even found all the complete sales data from my own road from when it was built in 1996. The secrecy also makes a complete mockery of the openess Government bodies are supposed to work under these days.

This secrecy fuels suspicion at what is being hidden from you. I for one won't be giving up on this quest due to having so much evidence showing the CT Band is too high. The fight with the VOA will continue.

Blackfive,

Do the 1996 sale prices fall below the band you are actually in?

lincroft1710

The fight with the VOA will continue

Please keep us informed and let us how you get on.

blackfive

guppy wrote: »

Blackfive,

Do the 1996 sale prices fall below the band you are actually in?

The sale price of the brand new property in 1996 was only just into the band the property is currently within. But its a known fact that new properties always sell at a premium above the market value. This was aptly demonstrated by a couple of properties being sold on the open market a few months later for around 7.5% less than paid when new. Its the open market value the the CT Band is supposed to be based on for a property that's extant.

blackfive

lincroft1710 wrote: »

The fight with the VOA will continue

Please keep us informed and let us how you get on.

I will keep you informed but please be aware that this process is proving to be very slow with any developments from the VOA.

lincroft1710

1996 prices were generally still lower than those in 1991, certainly in the areas I dealt with. Whether a discount should be allowed for calculating CT band for new dwelling by using its sale price was open to interpretation, I knew some who did and some who didn't. The legislation makes no reference to distinguishing between brand new and existing dwellings.

It would be interesting to know the exact figure that was paid in 1996, and any subsequent sale prices.

spangles39

Hello all, not sure I am on right thread but i just wanted to vent and see what others think. I moved into my home in 2004. I live in a concrete maisonette above a shop, no garden, 2 beds on 2 floors. Prior to that i lived in a neighbouring maisonette exactly the same but no heating and no double glazing. On moving into the prior flat I contacted my local council to find out if my council tax band would be A. I had downgraded from a 3 bed mid terrace house with huge garden and that was a band B. On my query I was told that only mobile homes are now classified as band A, and that i shouldnt complain as I was really lucky that my last home was a B. Our block is very unique in the area and there is nothing to totally compare it with, but opposite there are some 2 bed flats in a block which is far newer than our building. As all our flats are rented it is impossible to know the valuation as at 1991, but looking at a 1996 valuation of the newer flats which is roughly 46,000 following the advice on getting a back valuation it would appear that those newer flats were worth circa £35,000 back in 1991. How would i go about finding out for sure, as all the tenants feel we are wrongly banded. Sorry to rattle on, but any advice appreciated, and if im on the wrong thread,...oops sorry.

lincroft1710

Your post is a little confusing, what band are you currently in and also what part of the country are you in? There are plenty of dwellings in Band A which are not mobile homes.

96 values were lower than 91, see my post above, what band are the flats opposite in?

spangles39

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Your post is a little confusing, what band are you currently in and also what part of the country are you in? There are plenty of dwellings in Band A which are not mobile homes.

96 values were lower than 91, see my post above, what band are the flats opposite in?

Hi Lincroft,

My band is B, and I am in Rochford in Essex. The newer flats opposite are all band b, but some other flats in the area are band A. Also think its a bit bad that in my block of flats there are 2 and 3 beds but we are all band b. Surely in a price valuation a 3 bed would be higher than a 2. Sorry im just ranting, I dont think there is anything i can do to get it reduced but i was venting, lol. Thanks :cheesy:

jrussell88

Having read Martin's article, I checked the value of our house and the banding of comparable nearby houses. Our band appears to be one level too high, but on speaking to the council I was told that there is a six-month time limit on appeals running from the time you buy the house.

I didn't notice this point in Martin's article, and until I read it I had no idea what values were in 1991 or the banding of other houses in the area. But since we moved here seven years ago the council won't review the band.

Is there any way of getting it reviewed? Otherwise we'll have to wait until there's a revaluation.

TIA!

blackfive

lincroft1710 wrote: »

1996 prices were generally still lower than those in 1991, certainly in the areas I dealt with. Whether a discount should be allowed for calculating CT band for new dwelling by using its sale price was open to interpretation, I knew some who did and some who didn't. The legislation makes no reference to distinguishing between brand new and existing dwellings.

It would be interesting to know the exact figure that was paid in 1996, and any subsequent sale prices.

What I think is a more important factor is comparisons with similar properties within the geographical area.

One factor is that my property is the only 3 bed in the higher band in the immediate vicinity.

Another factor is a comparison with an equal cul-de-sac road approx a mile away where the properties were only just extant when the CT Band was estabilished but they sell for an average of £20k more than mine. That's properties with the same floor area, same specification wih regards to layout, room sizes & facilities, construction, heating, thermal insulation, etc. However the plot sizes are a little larger and although all are cul-de-sacs they don't have a busy main trunk road running past. But notwithstanding all this all the 3 beds of this equal contraction and in an equally, if not more, desirable area have, quite correctly, lower CT Bands to mine.