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

lincroft1710

This link will take you to the Valuation Tribunal appeal procedure

http://www.valuationtribunal.gov.uk/FAQs/FAQs03a_35a_17_56.aspx

Just follow the link to the online appeal form and follow the instructions. There is a section for you to state why you believe your band should be altered, just quote that similar houses e.g. 1, 2, 5 and 7 Any Street have been reduced to Band A.

Marie_Williams

I am still confused, I have already contacted VOA and been refused. I only rang them saying I thought I could be in the wrong band. They came out and I received a letter on Saturday saying my band was correct but I am still not happy as other houses the same as mine are lower. I need advice on the next step please.

Thank you.

lincroft1710

If you did not submit either a paper or online appeal to the VOA, then you cannot appeal against their decision. If you have occupied the house for more than 6 months you cannot now make an appeal to the VOA against your CT band.

loubeau77

Could anyone pls advise me?
Last year I contacted a company called CTReview who check your council tax bandings and claim the money back for you if you're in the wrong band. They phoned me up to tell me I was and they would pursue my claim as I'm intitilled to around £800 and with interest could be upto £1300. This I'm happy about but they want me to pay them £160 upfront as that covers the costs of the solicitors and admin charges, is it right to have to pay upfront? I'm not sure what to do

CIS

They can't be certain your entitled to £800 - you'll only know what it would be once the band has been adjusted and the council have re-calculated the charge as there are various factors which can affect any council tax adjustment (discounts, exemptions, council tax benefit etc).

In respect of the interest they state - the council wont pay interest on a domestic property. The VOA may pay but you'd have to fight it with them in respect of this.

lincroft1710

There is no way an overpayment of £800 would attract interest of £500, even if any interest would be paid.

Why pay someone £160 for something you could do yourself very easily, if your band is in fact wrong. As you have lived in your home for more than 6 months, there is no right of appeal against your CT band. All this company has to do is take your £160, say sorry but VOA say band is correct and that's it.

Look for similar homes in your locality which are in a lower band. If you find any ask VOA to investigate your band based on this evidence.

Marie_Williams

I e mailed the valuation officer re my being refused a reduction. She has acknowledged my message and says she is passing it on to her Supervisor for a review. I just feel the Supervisor will probably "rubber stamp" it. Just a bit annoyed I did not go via a Solicitor as my neighbours did. I don't think the officer even came out to them.

What to do you think my chances of a review are?

I have checked all the three beds on my road and most of them are band A odd ones are B but this is because the houses all look the same and when they were originally given a band the Surveyor or Estate Agent would not know by just driving past. For instance the 2 beds have a mock window in to match the 3 beds.

Also since the banding open space at the rear has been built on, does that make any difference. It is a very strange house backing directly on to mine and my neighbours. Does shared access to rear have any effect on value? We share an entry.

lincroft1710

Marie_Williams wrote: »

I e mailed the valuation officer re my being refused a reduction. She has acknowledged my message and says she is passing it on to her Supervisor for a review. I just feel the Supervisor will probably "rubber stamp" it. Just a bit annoyed I did not go via a Solicitor as my neighbours did. I don't think the officer even came out to them.

From personal experience (I'm ex VOA) solicitors have minimal knowledge of CT, so I would not recommend using a solicitor

What to do you think my chances of a review are?

It will depend solely on the merits of your case.

I have checked all the three beds on my road and most of them are band A odd ones are B but this is because the houses all look the same and when they were originally given a band the Surveyor or Estate Agent would not know by just driving past. For instance the 2 beds have a mock window in to match the 3 beds.

The people who did the original banding had the VOA's details of the houses. However no guarantee that VOA details were up to date or the details were referred to.

Also since the banding open space at the rear has been built on, does that make any difference.

It could do, but as most properties are overlooked, probably not much.

It is a very strange house backing directly on to mine and my neighbours. Does shared access to rear have any effect on value? We share an entry.

Very common, so will have little effect on value

The road sounds a bit of a mess in regard to CT bands. Not knowing what 1991 sale prices were, it's difficult to say whether A or B is correct.

Marie_Williams

The only conversation I had with her was when she asked me "if you could tell the 3 beds from 2 beds from outside". Which was an odd question. I told her "no". Was she supposed to know this already.

lincroft1710

Marie_Williams wrote: »

The only conversation I had with her was when she asked me "if you could tell the 3 beds from 2 beds from outside". Which was an odd question. I told her "no". Was she supposed to know this already.

Not necessarily, a CT caseworker's patch can cover a few hundred thousand dwellings. She may be wondering if the Band A houses should have been reduced in the first place. It is not unknown for a subsequent caseworker to disagree with the actions of a previous caseworker, especially where there is evidence to support the original band. In such cases it would be wrong to reduce the bands of other similar houses.

I do know of instances where Caseworker A has reduced the bands of a group of dwellings and Caseworker B has come along and reinstated the original bands.