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

jeff_tower

Hi,
new to this forum, but I was wondering if you can be downgraded if your surroundings have changed. We are currently Band D, adjacent to our house is a school, and in the last 3 years they have built an all weather football pitch with floodlights some 50 metres from our house. Now we are subject to full blown games going on till 9pm with the shouting, swearing and ball smashing into the fence, we have to close our windows.
Any advice please.

Sponge

I have now seen the letter and it would appear to be very similar to the 'rejection' letters other have received. The first page is mainly an explanation of the system, using values based on the 1st April 1991, when council tax was introduced 1st April 1993, reasonable state of repair, etc. (I can scan the letter at home tonight if people think it would help them.)

The second page dismisses any and all evidence using online house price indices. It's been mentioned by others in this thread, but I now agree that using such indices is completely useless and shouldn't be 'given in evidence'. Use it only as a guide during the early stages, when you're considering an appeal.

What has confused and somewhat annoyed me, is their dismissal of similar and larger properties in my street being band A. I brought to their attention that at least 4 of the properties residing in band A are there after being dropped from band B on 1st April 1993.

His explanation of such banding differences does not, to me, work. He explains that some properties are in a higher band due to them being of a different standard in 1993, or modernised after 1993. He appears to have come at it from the wrong angle. He seems to be thinking that all the properties were band A and others are now band B as they have been improved. But it's the other way around. I showed that properties the same, or larger than mine, have been downgraded. Properties are starting in band B and dropping to A. Using his logic, they've been un-modernised. (I can't think of an appropriate word. ) What I want to know is if it worked for them, why not me? What's the difference between their 2 bedroom mid-terrace and mine? Why does their 3 bedroom, double bay property deserve to be in a lower band than my 2 bedroom, single bay house?

The letter ends with a paragraph stating I cannot appeal against his decision.

I want to write to him asking for further explanation, evidence in support of his claims on house prices in 1991 and for him to address my points on bands being dropped in 1993, but I fear it'll fall on deaf ears.

I'm tempted to approach one of those no-win, no-fee companies (I had a leaflet through my door a month or so back). I've failed, so if they have a go and have further evidence in support, and win, then something is better than nothing.

lincroft1710

jeff_tower wrote: »

Hi,
new to this forum, but I was wondering if you can be downgraded if your surroundings have changed. We are currently Band D, adjacent to our house is a school, and in the last 3 years they have built an all weather football pitch with floodlights some 50 metres from our house. Now we are subject to full blown games going on till 9pm with the shouting, swearing and ball smashing into the fence, we have to close our windows.
Any advice please.

If you lived in the house prior to the football pitch being built, you can appeal against the current band on the grounds of "physical change in the area and material reduction". This type of appeal does not have time limits.

No guarantee that there would be a band reduction, as your house may have been at the top of the band before the works were carried out.

lincroft1710

Sponge wrote: »

His explanation of such banding differences does not, to me, work. He explains that some properties are in a higher band due to them being of a different standard in 1993, or modernised after 1993. He appears to have come at it from the wrong angle. He seems to be thinking that all the properties were band A and others are now band B as they have been improved. But it's the other way around. I showed that properties the same, or larger than mine, have been downgraded. Properties are starting in band B and dropping to A. Using his logic, they've been un-modernised. (I can't think of an appropriate word. ) What I want to know is if it worked for them, why not me? What's the difference between their 2 bedroom mid-terrace and mine? Why does their 3 bedroom, double bay property deserve to be in a lower band than my 2 bedroom, single bay house?

The letter ends with a paragraph stating I cannot appeal against his decision.

I want to write to him asking for further explanation, evidence in support of his claims on house prices in 1991 and for him to address my points on bands being dropped in 1993, but I fear it'll fall on deaf ears.

I'm tempted to approach one of those no-win, no-fee companies (I had a leaflet through my door a month or so back). I've failed, so if they have a go and have further evidence in support, and win, then something is better than nothing.

VOA are not permitted to disclose 1991 sale prices unless there is a valid appeal outstanding. I would suggest if possible you phone him to discuss all the other points. A 1-to-1 dialogue is often easier as you can ask for further clarification if you're not certain what he's actually trying to say.

Beware of "no win, no fee" companies which ask for a "deposit", credit or debit card details (do not give these), or try to introduce hidden fees before they've done any work.

ELDEST_DAUGHTER

Four years ago my husband and I bought a large house with my daughter and her husband, which at the time was divided into a house and one bed flat. We incorporated the flat back into the house and we live one side of it whilst my daughter and her family live the other. We have a joint mortgage and the property can only be sold as one. However ever since we have lived here we have been paying two seperate council tax bills, one for the flat (A band) and one for the house (G Band). When we moved in we did contact the Council on a few occasions telling them that it was now only one property but they said that although it may now only be one shared property there was the potential for it to be two (if that makes sense) and I felt that they hinted that the tax could increase - so we left it. Doyou think I should get onto the Valuation Office for our area or do is there a risk of the property being re-evaluated as two houses?

lincroft1710

ELDEST_DAUGHTER wrote: »

at the time was divided into a house and one bed flat. We incorporated the flat back into the house and we live one side of it whilst my daughter and her family live the other. Since we have lived here we have been paying two seperate council tax bills, one for the flat (A band) and one for the house (G Band). Do you think I should get onto the Valuation Office for our area or do is there a risk of the property being re-evaluated as two houses?

This is slightly complicated. If both families have their own kitchen and bathroom facilities, it is still 2 dwellings and will still have 2 CT bands. Without knowing the layout of the property, who has which rooms and whether there have been any changes of planning consents or any physical changes to the property, it is virtually impossible to give any useful advice.

strugglingwriter

I have rented a property since 2005. After doing the neighbour test for the little terrace of 5 houses I live in (all 2 bed) and finding that only my immediate neighbour and I were on Band B, the other three were in Band A, I did the valuation by registering with ourproperty.co.uk and found my house sold for £33,350 in 1999, giving me a Strong Case. I was on the phone to my local Valuation Officer immediately but, half an hour later, withdrew my request for a reassessment because he had implied that my 3 neighbours should also be in Band B! While he admitted that my house was probably put in too high a band initially, he claimed that Section 24.10 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 states that any structural or engineered change that results 'in a material increase in the value of a dwelling', can result in an increase in Council Tax. My house had a kitchen extension and bathroom moved upstairs in 2003 so should, he suggested, be in Band B, anyway. All the houses in the terrace have had smilialr alterations, so as there was nothing to gain for me, I didn't want them to suffer. But now I'm wondering ~ was he just trying it on to put me off?! Have others come across this loophole for local councils?

lincroft1710

strugglingwriter wrote: »

he had implied that my 3 neighbours should also be in Band B! While he admitted that my house was probably put in too high a band initially, he claimed that Section 24.10 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 states that any structural or engineered change that results 'in a material increase in the value of a dwelling', can result in an increase in Council Tax. My house had a kitchen extension and bathroom moved upstairs in 2003 so should, he suggested, be in Band B, anyway. All the houses in the terrace have had smilialr alterations, so as there was nothing to gain for me, I didn't want them to suffer. But now I'm wondering ~ was he just trying it on to put me off?! Have others come across this loophole for local councils?

Local councils aren't involved in the banding process, the VOA is part of HMRC.

A CT band can be increased where alterations have taken place. However, this only happens when the property is sold. So if any of the houses have been extended/altered by the current owners, the CT band cannot be increased to reflect this.

strugglingwriter

Thanks for that. I should have explained that 4 of the 5 properties in my terrace were sold on AFTER improvements and alterations, so VOA man said that they could all be liable for increase in Co. Tax even though local authority failed to inform VOA of improvements. It sounds as though I'd better let it go ~ to avoid being lynched by neighbours on lower band!

happymoocow

Hi, I've just performed the "pre-checks" suggested to make a claim for a lower council tax band, and I think I've got quite a good case, and I'm also fairly confident that they wouldn't push me up any higher. I'm currently in a band G house, but the value in 1991 is coming out at £126188 - band F. The houses along my road are all unique, and the one closest in size and vicinity to mine is also a band G, but the value in 1991 is coming out at £187500 - a band G.

When I've looked at the claiming criteria on the VOA I don't meet any of their requirements, for example my challenge will be made more than 6 months after I purchased the house (more like 6 years!).
There has been a minor alteration in the form a single storey one room extension to the house, and this is showing as an "improvement indicator" on the VOA valuation list.

Could anyone please advise if I am still able to submit a challenge?

I haven't done this sort of thing before, any help and guidance greatly appreciated.

Many thanks for reading,
H