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

cathodetube

Hi Booboo967,
I have the same problem....

booboo967

hi
are you going to pursue it?
i'm sure there must be someone else i can go to like an ombudsman or something.
surely i dont have to accept, 'thats it we're not going to look again unless your street blows up?'
i'm going to write again to them with what i have found against their comparisons, then if no joy i shall go to the library and look through old estate agents listings

cathodetube

I want to pursue but the letter they send is strongly discouraging. I wonder if this is a hardline they are taking after collaboration with local authorities asking them to not change bandings because they then lose revenue.

vrotdronk

Hello,

I would be really grateful if anyone with a bit of experience/knowledge could advise?

Our whole street are in band C (apart from mine and neighbours houses), they are all pretty much the same size - many larger due to extensions to the property.

The problem is...when I did Martin's valuation check, it is suggested we would be band E! Looking at all the band C's in our street (approx 56 houses) I still feel a bit annoyed, as some now have so much more house than we do.

Do you think it still worth me pursuing?

Thanks VERY much!

Jo

getsct

If those houses have had the extensions carried out by the current occupiers then there bands will remain in C until there is a sale. The VOA make note of such improvements but do not act on them until we have notification of a sale from land registry. This means a larger extended property can stay in a low band for many years. This is a fairer system than increasing bands just for people improving a property. As if this was the case no one would make any improvements and housing stock would be in poor condition.

You can contact the VOA to check that the bands are correct, but be warned if this is found to be an error then all the bands would be corrected into E including your own.

judderman

Hi All.
According to the http://www.nationwide.co.uk/hpi/calculator/calculator.htm
Our house price in Q2 of 1991 Outer Metropolitan area was £46.268.
The CT is band C should we not be in band B.??
I spoke to the VOA last week but they were not interested!
Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks.

booboo967

hi
You will have to do loads more checking than just the nationwide calculator.
and do not even bother phoning them.
Write it all down and send it to them, because if you are certain like I am, it will go on for months, even over a year!
If you have it all in writing, you will be able to refer back to it.
The nationwide site is a very good guide, but it is just that, a guide, and they dont accept that as the acutal price back in 1991.
You will need to compare similar local house prices from 1991, by either going to the library and looking back in old local newspapers. or as i have done give them so many comparisons (i can only go back as far as 1995 online) that it is compelling enough for them to send somebody out to re-asses.
good luck, and if you are definate, DO NOT GIVE UP NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY TO YOU.

Empty_pockets

Hi,

Applied for a review with good evidence but a change has been denied.
I'm pretty sure I'm in the right, can I appeal against the decision?

How do I go about this? it make no mention of appeals in the letter.

Evidence was mine and opposite house purchased for circa £41K on year 2000 hence 1991 value must have been sub £40K.

lincroft1710

If you did not challenge your CT band within 6 months of first becoming the CT payer there is no right of appeal.

Empty_pockets

So if the valuation is incorrect and the agency aren't willing to look into it properly it's just tough????

Surely not.