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

christineperseus

I appealed because I was two bands higher than my other half of the semi.
I have had my band reduce by one and my neighbour has had his increased by one.
Needless to say he is not happy.
It is very unfair that by challenging your banding you can change someone elses.

Motty_2

craigrenfrew wrote:

I have just contacted my valuation officer and he informs me that the value banding table is just a rough guide. They band your property by floor space, bedrooms etc. Is this right?

My house has been extended and could not be compared to the other houses in the street so the valuation office used the floor space to find an equivalent sized property.

So the answer is yest hat could be right

Richard

moss71

My nearest neighbour is 0.25 miles away. My house is very different to any others I am aware of.

This would appear to prevent me from doing anything about my banding, is this correct ??

Maisie

christineperseus wrote:

I appealed because I was two bands higher than my other half of the semi.
I have had my band reduce by one and my neighbour has had his increased by one.
Needless to say he is not happy.
It is very unfair that by challenging your banding you can change someone elses.

Christine that sounds very wrong that they have raised your neighbours' banding.

I've been reading that if you appeal and get yours lowered and your neighbour should be on the lower band too they are not putting the neighbour on the lower band unless they appeal.

They seem to 'get' you all ways and will raise the band whenever possible but not lower it unless you appeal.

misters_2

Is this just for ppl who have purchased there house or can council tennant claim bk as well?

Also what about ppl who have moved on from there las house to a new house, how would they check.

One more thing what about ppl tht purchased there house after 1993 under the ryt to buy scheme.

CBXPO

Authority: Craven district
Previous Band = D
New Band = C
Savings £670

Thanks to you Martin I followed all the advice from the links on your e-mail. Phoned up just before Christmas & heard yesterday that a cheque was in the post. (it would have been more, but only moved in 4½ years ago). As I was successful, I offered to ring up today on behalf of an elderly neighbour and was told that as he lived in a similar property to me, they had automatically reduced his as well (Well done Craven & or Harrogate VO) and he was due to get his reduction back dated and a cheque next week.

Thanks again Martin - I'm glad I got in before the rush that is bound to start after tonights programme.

The only worrying thing is where will the Council's get their money from now to replace all these refunds?. They are far more likely to push forward any plans for re-valuation

Altarf

christineperseus wrote:

I appealed because I was two bands higher than my other half of the semi.
I have had my band reduce by one and my neighbour has had his increased by one.
Needless to say he is not happy.
It is very unfair that by challenging your banding you can change someone elses.

They can increase or decrease a property band without the property owner instigating the change. It falls under the duty of the VOA to maintain the register. From the VOA internal manual -

Section 24 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 enables the Secretary of State to make regulations about the alteration of lists by listing officers. S22(1) of the 1992 Act gives LOs a dual task - to compile and then maintain, a Council Tax list for each BA for which they are appointed as Listing Officer under S20 of that Act. Maintenance means making sure within the parameters of the legislation that the list is accurate for the whole period for which it remains in force, and so the LO is under a duty whenever he/she considers that the list has become inaccurate, to make such alterations as are necessary - and will be effective - to cure that inaccuracy.

However it goes on to say -

It is imperative that before any increase of band for a dwelling where anomalies have been brought to the attention of the LO by a third party is made, the LO must be satisfied that the new band is fully supported. Only where a dwelling clearly falls into the higher band (ie close to the mid point of the valuation) should an increase be considered.

http://www.voa.gov.uk/instructions/chapters/council_tax/council_tax_man_s2/Frame.htm

So in your case, if the neighbour is not half way into the higher band e.g. if you were in band E and they were band C, then although band D is from £68,000 to £88,000 they should not have been moved unless their value was around £78,000 and not just over £68,000.

Also the VOA should not (and I hope did not) inform them that the reason that their banding was adjusted was your appeal. If you are using a neighbours property banding as a reason why yours should be lower, it may be wise not to mention it to them.

Beate

Why why WHY does the programme have to be on at the same time as EastEnders???

leni

can anyone advise?

We bought our house in 2003 and were put in Band C. Our house was built in 1994 and was valued then at around £42k. The 1992 valuation according to Martins Links, taking todays selling price means in 1991 it was valued at £37K, meaning we should be in Band A - (£260 less a year!)

Does anyone know were we stand in terms of houses built after 1991? also our council website says....

In certain circumstances, you can appeal against your property’s band:
within 6 months of becoming the council tax payer, as long as the previous occupier did not appeal

does this still apply? or one of the councils silly, nothing to back it up rules?

CIS

does this still apply? or one of the councils silly, nothing to back it up rules?

Property valuations have nothing to do with the Councils at all, its all set independently by the Valuations Office.