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

lincroft1710

Zebedeee wrote: »

That may be so, but when my property was re-banded the VOA applied the rebanding starting from the date we purchased.

Unless the band was increased or it was a "material reduction" case or a new property when you moved in or there was some other technical point the VOA did not do the right thing.

pollyzanna

we received a letter today saying that they had reviewed our case and decided that it wasn't in the wrong band.

(We bought it for £51k in 1999 and our band C starts at £52k. The calculator put us firmly in band B but all the neighbours were also band C.)

Never mind - it was worth a try! Didn't cost anything to ask for a review so well worth doing.

Good luck to everyone else. :T

mitty1966

pollyzanna wrote: »

we received a letter today saying that they had reviewed our case and decided that it wasn't in the wrong band.

(We bought it for £51k in 1999 and our band C starts at £52k. The calculator put us firmly in band B but all the neighbours were also band C.)

Never mind - it was worth a try! Didn't cost anything to ask for a review so well worth doing.

Good luck to everyone else. :T

hi, most 1999 house prices are about the same price if not more than 1991 price , so if thats the case your still 1k under the band ,the letter you got is bogg standard just to stop you in your tracks the letter will say you can appeal if you dont agree with the v.o. so start the ball rolling.

lincroft1710

mitty1966 wrote: »

hi, most 1999 house prices are about the same price if not more than 1991 price , so if thats the case your still 1k under the band ,the letter you got is bogg standard just to stop you in your tracks the letter will say you can appeal if you dont agree with the v.o. so start the ball rolling.

A valid appeal can only be made within 6 months of becoming the taxpayer of the property, as OP bought property in 1999 they cannot make a valid appeal. They can only look for more evidence that would persuade VOA to change their minds.

I would agree that by 1999 house prices had reached 1991 levels.

mitty1966

mitty1966 wrote: »

hi, most 1999 house prices are about the same price if not more than 1991 price , so if thats the case your still 1k under the band ,the letter you got is bogg standard just to stop you in your tracks the letter will say you can appeal if you dont agree with the v.o. so start the ball rolling.

hi again was just wondering when your house was built, because where i live (north east lincs) most of the houses that was built after 1990 seem to have been priced band wise at 1989 sale price bearing in mind that in 1990 house prices started falling and when intrest rates went up in 1990 house s was not selling so therfore house owners was dropping prices by up to ten thousand pounds bearing this in mind ,so any house that only just makes a band jump price wise could be in wrong band has with mine and many many more ,my house was built 1995 so i went round housing estates that was built in the 1980s there i found that all houses built early 80s was all in bands lower than same houses built in 1990+.If i missed the appeal date becaues of the six month rule i would put counci tax bill in family ,friends name, kids over 18 that live at address etc, always away round it if you know what im saying

lincroft1710

mitty1966 wrote: »

If i missed the appeal date becaues of the six month rule i would put counci tax bill in family ,friends name, kids over 18 that live at address etc, always away round it if you know what im saying

If you put CT bill in another person's name, it doesn't alter the fact that you are still the occupier. Also you have made that person liable in law to pay the bill.

menollyke

I have just stumbled across this topic and wonder if I should query it as well. We have been living in this house for 2.5 years now, but I never really thought about it.

Anyways, I live in a 3 bed semi which is a band C. Half of the houses in the street are B and half are C. The neighbours are a band B but have more floor space due to an extension. Most C's are semi detached and the B's are terraced. However our house used to have a garage next to the house and a much bigger garden. At some point in the past this has been removed and some of the land has been sold to create a driveway to a property behind the street.

The street which our street comes off are all banded as B even though they are the same size and have bigger gardens. (and some have garages in the back garden) We do have off street parking in the place where the garage used to be, but our back garden is now reduced to a very small triangle shaped garden.

Is it still worth trying? Nationwide figures suggest at least one band lower on the sale price we paid. (but it is borderline A/B, but we might have bought it for a bargain)I know we are past the six months they have said. However with the garage being removed (long time ago, at least 5 years cause the last owners haven't done it) the garden being smaller, is there a chance they will look into it?

lincroft1710

menollyke wrote: »

I have just stumbled across this topic and wonder if I should query it as well. We have been living in this house for 2.5 years now, but I never really thought about it.

Anyways, I live in a 3 bed semi which is a band C. Half of the houses in the street are B and half are C. The neighbours are a band B but have more floor space due to an extension. Most C's are semi detached and the B's are terraced. However our house used to have a garage next to the house and a much bigger garden. At some point in the past this has been removed and some of the land has been sold to create a driveway to a property behind the street.

The street which our street comes off are all banded as B even though they are the same size and have bigger gardens. (and some have garages in the back garden) We do have off street parking in the place where the garage used to be, but our back garden is now reduced to a very small triangle shaped garden.

Is it still worth trying? Nationwide figures suggest at least one band lower on the sale price we paid. (but it is borderline A/B, but we might have bought it for a bargain)I know we are past the six months they have said. However with the garage being removed (long time ago, at least 5 years cause the last owners haven't done it) the garden being smaller, is there a chance they will look into it?

Have replied to your post on other thread.

smerch1468

Hi all I have a question which I hope the experts can answer:

In 2002 the mrs and me purchased our new build home in the borough of enfield. We where assigned a council tax banding of F which I contested to be reduced and it was eventually reduced to band E.

After reading ML's article on council tax reclaiming I put the value of a sold property in our street through his calculator, the result was t in 1991 that property (which is identical to ours in size) had a band D value.

My mother also lives in the borough her property is worth over £100k more than myne and she is also in band E.

Given this information is there sufficient grounds to request our council tax banding be reduced to band D?

lincroft1710

smerch1468 wrote: »

In 2002 the mrs and me purchased our new build home in the borough of enfield. We where assigned a council tax banding of F which I contested to be reduced and it was eventually reduced to band E.

After reading ML's article on council tax reclaiming I put the value of a sold property in our street through his calculator, the result was t in 1991 that property (which is identical to ours in size) had a band D value.

My mother also lives in the borough her property is worth over £100k more than myne and she is also in band E.

Given this information is there sufficient grounds to request our council tax banding be reduced to band D?

As you have already agreed a reduction to Band E, the VOA would undoubtedly say that your band was fully investigated and agreed with you and no further action should be taken.

What 1991 price do you get if you put your 2002 purchase price into the calculator?

Given the width of Band E, it's not impossible for both your and your mother's houses both to be in Band E. Further her house may be in too lower a band and also different house types and different areas have not always increased in value by the same percentage.

It is up to you, but I don't think you will have much success.