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

lincroft1710

Swank - firstly as the band has been increased from D to E it is highly doubtful that your band would be increased again and even if it was the increase would not be retrospective. A detached house will be worth more than a semi of the same size, so doubtful if the ex police semis would have been worth same as yours in 91. Is your road better than the semis' road.

Your best bet would be to look at bands of other same size detached houses with equal no of beds and 2 baths. If you can find any in a lower band than E, then you can use these as a basis for seeking a reduction. Also if you can source 1991 property ads in newspaper archives you may get an idea of asking prices of similar vehicles.

mr_smithers

This is a large thread and im new here, im posting on behalf of a elderly family member and wanted some construtive info ref the following, I will keep it clear as I can.

She has been living in a flat (block of 6) since 1984, and when it got banded it was (the entire block as one) a band "B". She has moved withing the block 3 times (but stayed withing the block of band B listed all the time.

She has just recieved an official letter from the evaluation office informing her that its been noted its wrong banding and has now been changed to band "A". So without actually querying the whole block of 6 flats have now gone from B-A.

The change is effective from 01 April 1993 right up to the letter of notification which is 19 Jan 2010.

So now its official what do I need to do for her or what does she need to do in terms of steps to take regards any payback, write to the local council .. ring up, whats the best course of action?

Theres a note though that the whole block is under a housing association as has been the same all through this time. She has moved 3 timed within this time ... she first moved in bottom floor from 1984-2002 ... moved up a floor 2002-2009 and now has moved across the landing (yes i know ) from 2009 - present day. I would assume this has no effect as such becuase its all been within and under the wrong banded "block" which the letter states. Plus neighbors have had the same issued to them.

From all of the above can anyone give me some decent pointer please as I'm new to all this, but remembered the ITV programme about it, so searched online and now Im here.

Thanks in advance for any replies, I have had a browse but it mainly looks at challenging your banding, but this part was done for her, which was a bonus, im just looking at the stages once this is done. If im repeating im sorry, and if im totaly missed an area on the site then please point me to it and sorry also

lincroft1710

I would suggest she writes to council giving them dates she was at all 3 flats, they should still have this on record but it won't hurt to remind them. The council will then calculate the refunds she is entitled to. Some (but not all)
councils do not make much effort to try to contact previous occupiers.

"(ADDRESS OF BLOCK) REDUCTION IN COUNCIL TAX FROM BAND B TO BAND A

I have been occupier of Flat (full address) since dd/mm/yyyy, previously I occupied Flat (number) between (dates) and prior to that Flat (number) between (dates). I look forward to receiving refunds of any overpaid Council Tax in respect of these three dwellings."

Cymrogog

Hi
We moved into a house last November, a 4 bed detached. We've recently been contacted to arrange someone to come round to look at the house and re-band our council tax.

We think this would be to increase the band as the house was built in 1990 as a 3 bed and was only extended to 4 bed about 10yrs ago.

Do we have to let them view our house? Is there a certain amount of time in which they have to do this viewing? (i.e. within 6months of purchase etc)

Is there any way we can avoid the council tax band going higher?
Anyone with any advice?

lincroft1710

If you think by refusing them permission to inspect you will avoid a band increase you are sadly mistaken, they will just estimate and if you appeal the revised band your property will have to be inspected so that the facts can be presented to the Tribunal which will hear your appeal. Tribunals take a dim view of taxpayers who refuse VOA access to their homes.

There is no time limit on inspections. If an appointment to inspect cannot be conveniently arranged within normal office hours, then there is a possibility (and I stress possibility) it could be arranged at a different time/day.

A change in the law means that the effective date of the band increase is not backdated and is now only effective from date of notification of band increase. Although many extensions will result in a band increase, not all do.

Is there any way we can avoid the council tax band going higher?

Knock the extension down! Seriously you cannot stop the due processes of the law, if the extension is sufficient to warrant a band increase then the band will be increased, if extension isn't band will not. You have right of appeal against increased band, but this does not mean band is automatically reduced back down again.

ellielovesem

Hi

I've just been looking into my council tax and I'm pleased to say it looks like I'm in the right band so that is all good.

BUT during my investigation I found that there is a house in my street that is obviously in the wrong band. The whole of my street are in band C and we are 3 bed semi's but this particular house is detached and has a two storey extension yet it is also in band C! I don't really feel this is fair that they are paying the same as the rest of the street yet their property is far larger.

Is there anything I can do about this or should I just let it be?

Thanks

lincroft1710

Ellie - assuming you live in England, if the extension was built after 1 Apr 1993 by current owner the band cannot be increased to reflect the extension.

If extension built pre 1 Apr 1993 or by previous owner, your local Valuation Office Agency will be very interested in the information.

chaos10_2

Hi all, just recievd a crappy letter from my local council tax office recovery department, i owe £691.45 from a joint venture with my best mate who told me when i moved out it was all sorted. thing is i have been living with my girlfriend for the last 3 years, i was put on her council tax bill on 1st of april and i have lived here ever since, i moved in with my friend in july of 2006 and moved back to my parents shortly after to take me off the tenancy agreement. should the housing party i was with at the time have notified the councill or would it have been my job? bearing in mind this is the first letter i have ever seen about it and they have known where i have lived for the last 3 years, And it has already been to court aparently!

lincroft1710

It's your responsibility to inform your council when you leave a property. Contact council first thing Monday morning, give them exact dates where you have been living since July 2006 and just hope they haven't already passed to bailiffs to recover debt. There is a possibility that your "best mate" hasn't paid his share of the bill, but I may be wrong.

tracerfire

The estate where I live was built in 2000.Using the council tax band prices I cross referenced around 20 different houses of various build types and the band corresponds exactly with the prices in 2000.
For example: Property 1 sold for 101,950 in 2000 and is in band E, property 2 sold for 78,950 and is in Band D.
I was lead to believe that bands were supposed to be calculated from what they would have been in 1991 , or does this not apply in this case because they were built in 2000? Does this mean that a house built in 2010 is banded at 2010 prices, or has my estate been banded incorrectly?