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

lincroft1710

JamesM wrote: »

I think I had a strong case and can't help but think that the Tories cost cutting measures have affected this somewhat.

You would have received the same letter when Labour were in power. The ToryDem cost cutting will have more effect next year when about 12 VOA offices will close.

shaping

I guess the best thing to do is gather evidence, the stronger the better. Probs seems a silly question but do the VOA have a legal duty to make sure bandings are correct even if they are "satisfied" that bandings are correct when bandings are wrong? Can we force them to justify their bandings with evidence?

JamesM_2

lincroft1710 wrote: »

You would have received the same letter when Labour were in power. The ToryDem cost cutting will have more effect next year when about 12 VOA offices will close.

It wasn't to do with the letter, more that VOA offices could easily be set targets which would prevent them from being impartial.

lincroft1710

JamesM wrote: »

It wasn't to do with the letter, more that VOA offices could easily be set targets which would prevent them from being impartial.

VOA have had targets set since CT came into being. The targets may mean they have less time to deal with each request, but they are always impartial - they don't "take sides" just try to find the correct band.

However they sometimes need a lot of convincing that a particular band is wrong.

lincroft1710

shaping wrote: »

Probs seems a silly question but do the VOA have a legal duty to make sure bandings are correct even if they are "satisfied" that bandings are correct when bandings are wrong? Can we force them to justify their bandings with evidence?

What is a "correct band"?

A rhetorical question? Well possibly.

The vast majority of properties have no direct 1991 sales evidence or even evidence of an identical/very similar property type. Therefore (as with any valuation) in these cases the band is an opinion based on facts, experience and precedents.

If the VOA have checked the band and are satisfied it is correct then they have performed their "legal duty".

Only if a valid appeal is made and is proceeding to a Tribunal hearing are they expected to provide evidence that the band is correct. Because of an archaic permission to disclose by Parliament, VOA are not allowed to give details of 1991 sales at any other time.

birko67

We were pleased to receive an 11 year wrong band refund. However, I have calcualted the compound interest on this sum should be at least £507! I used the bank of england base rate tables and used the lowest rate in a year of change.
I telephoned the council to be abruptly tld you have your refund you should be happy and we dont pay interest due to one of the old legal rules.
Is it worth challenging? Anyone else had any success?

Thank you

lincroft1710

Council Tax law makes no reference to payment of interest on refunds of overpayment of CT. The council are correct in refusing to pay interest and there is no legal basis to challenge this.

kubla_khan

JamesM wrote: »

I Just got a virtually identical letter, word for word (with a few minor changes) from Southampton Valuation Office. It read rather snottily to me.

I think I had a strong case and can't help but think that the Tories cost cutting measures have affected this somewhat.

I am new to MSE and posting so I hope this is in the right place.
I have had a notification letter from the VOA notifying rebanding from D up to E. I am waiting to here the outcome of my appeal, based on on similar properties in the road being D band.

Our siuation is that we bought the 4 bed property in 1998 and have always paid D band tax. We have not had any extensions built in our time at the property (all the extension work was done in the mid-eighties). Under the band calculator tool we should be E. I checked all properties in our road and they all are currently D. Even some properties in our road with larger extensions/more (5)bedrooms are still D but a couple are E.

Can anyone advise anything we can do to make our appeal successful?

Ann3_2

I successfully was rebanded by Leeds City Council from Band E down to Band D and received a rebate of £2000 but now they are putting me back up to Band E!

Sponge

Continuing from my previous post:

My wife has just texted me to say we've finally received a reply from the VOA - it was a rejection!

Apparently the letter goes into quite a lot of detail on why we've been refused a re-banding. I haven't seen it yet, but after I do, I may scan and post a copy, seeking advice on whether to, how to, proceed.

I remain convinced I should share band A along with the others in my street.