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

lincroft1710

Rachel - if Assessor has turned down your request there is little you can do, especially if this has been going on for over 4 yrs. I don't know the area but Band A seems low for a maisonette like yours. You could write to your MSP who in turn would write to the Assessor, but from experience (I'm ex VOA , English equivalent to Assessor) the MSP will probably be told the same as you have been and then he'll tell you what you already know.

jkw10_2

I live in a development of 12 flats in south west London. All are in Band C.

Mine is the only 1-bedroom flat in the development.

The flats vary hugely in size and desirability - four are in a lovely Victorian double fronted house and have high ceilings, period features and reasonable gardens; six are in a 1950's extension with one communal garden.

My flat and the one above is the 'link building' wedged between the two. I have a conservatory and very small patio. The flat above is much larger and has a garden accessed separately.

I think the 1991 valuation of my flat was fair and I don't want to stir up a hornet's nest.
Do I have a case?

lincroft1710

Jkw10 - if you think the band is fair then there is little point in pursuing the matter. Clearly a smaller flat would be worth less than a larger one which had a 2nd bedroom, but your flat could be at bottom of band, other flats could be at top. Band C is not excessive for a 1 bed flat in a reasonable part of London. The only downside if you asked for a band review would be that the 2 beds were increased to D.

Have a look at bands of other 1 bed flats in nearby blocks.

Stu666

I have just had my request to lower my band from D to C rejected on the grounds that there are other similar band D properties in the area. However the examples the listings officer used are three-bedroom houses, and I live in a two-bed. At one point it probably was a three-bed, but it has been significantly altered at some stage so that it is now a two-bed. The most recent sale price in April 2001 was for £104,000, which puts it right on the £68,000 band D threshold according to the Nationwide calculator. Have I got any grounds to appeal?

lincroft1710

If the Apr 2001 sale was your purchase, then no, you have no right of appeal. If you have lived in the house for less than 6 months then you do have the right to formally appeal your band. Bear in mind Nationwide house price calculator is inaccurate so Band D may be correct. If your house is significantly smaller in size than the 3 beds VOA are quoting I would ask them to compare your house with those of a similar size.

Stu666

lincroft1710 wrote: »

If the Apr 2001 sale was your purchase, then no, you have no right of appeal. If you have lived in the house for less than 6 months then you do have the right to formally appeal your band. Bear in mind Nationwide house price calculator is inaccurate so Band D may be correct. If your house is significantly smaller in size than the 3 beds VOA are quoting I would ask them to compare your house with those of a similar size.

What would you consider significantly smaller? My house (which I rent by the way) is only a couple of square metres smaller than the VOA examples, however looking at Google maps it is clear that my house is perhaps a third smaller than any of the neighbouring properties.

lincroft1710

I would expect them to be comparing your home to those no more than 10% larger and hopefully within 5 sq metres of the size of your home.

janetweekes

When I moved in to my house 4 years ago I thought my banding was wrong but was told it was correct. I followed Martins advice, was told my banding was correct, appealed and now my band has finally been lowered. So thank you very very much Martin.

seem2baloser

There are 5 houses in my road exactly the same as mine, all on band E mine is F. I complained to valuation office. After 6 weeks the reply was no change, with no appeal. I contacted MP who referred me to Ombudsman, after several Months, no change in banding possible. I pointed out in 1991 average Mortgage rate 15%, house prices took a big dive. Still told other houses undervalued mine correct. I have live here over 20 years and have paid considerably more than my near neighbours in council tax. I feel this is very unfair, all on the say-so of a local estate agent driving passed in his/her car and valueing the house. Any suggestions welcome?

lincroft1710

seem2baloser - VOA probably have sales evidence that supports their claim that F is correct and E is incorrect, unfortunately they cannot disclose actual sales details unless a valid appeal has been made. Their claim is plausible, I came across several similar scenarios (I'm ex VOA). I even had one case where identical houses were 2 bands lower, which I corrected by increasing the underassessed houses by 2 bands.

There is really nothing more you can do. You can try and see if a Valuation Tribunal has within the past 6 months issued a decision which lowered the band of a nearby similar house from F to E and submit an appeal asking that your band be reduced in line with that one. But finding such a decision is difficult and could literally take years and there may be good reason not to reduce your band as the circumstances may be different.