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

Wywth

elaine-b wrote: »

OK, our situation is not quite straightforward. We brought our house new in 2008 - we have a house and an annexe - the house is in band g and the annex in band a - from the very beginning I questioned if this was correct - the annex does have elec, gas and water but it's from the meters for the main house - it also doesn't have a front door - any mail gets shoved through our door - and quite rightly too as we class it as part of our main home (we use it as a gym). Originally I did not contest it as 50% of band a and band g were the same costing as band H which I suspected they would put us into - so did nothing about it - then a couple of years ago the council wrote to say that we had to pay 90% of the council tax on the annex as they are trying to encourage 'empty' properties (it's not empty - it's part of our home, just no one sleeps in there) to be brought back into the community (as I said earlier it's not really something that could easily be rented out as it's all on our one plot - attached to the main house via the garage - with a door at the rear to enter). Today we have now received a letter saying they are now going to be charging us from April 150% of our band A council tax which will be approx £1500 along with the council tax for our main house making it in total £4200 - but my argument is that the annex is an extionsion of our home - it's not a dwelling that could be rented out. But we have now been here 8 years and now want to contest it - but am I right in saying that this is not possible - I wouldn't mind the letter states: we have worked hard to develop a council tax support scheme that is designed to be affordable and fair
I think this is far from fair - we will be paying approx £1000 more per year than the highest band for this area!

I think whilst you have a separate metered water supply, then you may have difficulty convincing the council this is all just one large single dwelling house.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=59704427&postcount=8

If you thought it was one large single dwelling house, that was something you should probably have asked your solicitor to sort out when you purchased the property (new!) back in 2008.
It sounds to me like it was originally built as two separate dwelling houses and was presumably granted planning permission on that basis.

lincroft1710

elaine-b wrote: »

the annex does have elec, gas and water but it's from the meters for the main house - it also doesn't have a front door - attached to the main house via the garage - with a door at the rear to enter). But we have now been here 8 years and now want to contest it - but am I right in saying that this is not possible -

What is important is if the annex has its own kitchen, WC, facilities for washing and space for eating, living and sleeping, plus access which is not through a main room of the parent house.

Inability to rent out the annex or shared utilities are irrelevant.

If the annex does not conform to the above then you can appeal.

Have just read your other posts, clearly the annex meets the requirements for separate banding so there would be little point in appealing. You could consider removing the kitchen.

elaine-b

lincroft1710 wrote: »

What is important is if the annex has its own kitchen, WC, facilities for washing and space for eating, living and sleeping, plus access which is not through a main room of the parent house.

Inability to rent out the annex or shared utilities are irrelevant.

If the annex does not conform to the above then you can appeal.

Have just read your other posts, clearly the annex meets the requirements for separate banding so there would be little point in appealing. You could consider removing the kitchen.

I am not trying to get out of paying the council tax on it - I am trying to contest them charging us 50% more - on what basis can they do this - As far as were concerned it is substantially furnished - and we use it on a daily basis - we just don't sleep in it. No one has ever been to view the annexe and what is in there.

What really annoys me is in the early days we did not qualify for 6 months council tax free and then 50% for the rest of the year because in their opinion the annexe was furnished. Gym equipment and bed in the bedroom along with kitchen, bathroom etc made it furnished. Now they are saying it's unfurnished. Seems the council can say and do what they like when they like - it's if it suits them!

In the letter from the council it says it is their commitment to bring empty homes back into use. My argument is - a) it's not empty and b) we use it on a daily basis!

lincroft1710

elaine-b wrote: »

My argument is - a) it's not empty and b) we use it on a daily basis!

It is not being used as a separate dwelling and is no one's sole or main residence, so I presume the council are basing their decision on these points.

As I suggested in my previous post, why don't you remove the kitchen and the annex will be merged with the main house giving you just one CT bill.

AS1612

I purchased a house pre April 1991, in September 1988. It is in a mixed development and there are only three houses of our type in the development. The first time one of these properties sold was in 2000, so the purchase price I paid is a lot closer to the valuation date for Council Tax Banding purposes.

The VOA has told me that I have to find sale details of a similar property in the area, as part of any appeal I might wish to make. I have spoke to HM Land Registry and whilst they were helpful, told me that it's only since around 2000 that they have been recording purchase prices.

So my question is - does anyone know whether projected prices, based on a purchase in 1988 would be acceptable. If so, has anyone been successfuk using this methodology as a basis of appeal and if so what did they use to take their case for re-valuation forward?

lincroft1710

AS1612 wrote: »

I purchased a house pre April 1991, in September 1988.

Are you in England or Scotland, what band are you in and what was your purchase price in Sep 88? 1988 prices tended to be at the peak and after that they fell until around 1996.

AS1612

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Are you in England or Scotland, what band are you in and what was your purchase price in Sep 88? 1988 prices tended to be at the peak and after that they fell until around 1996.

I'm in Band "E" and my purchase price was £58,500 on 30/9/88. I'm based in Bolton, if this helps.

lincroft1710

AS1612 wrote: »

I'm in Band "E" and my purchase price was £58,500 on 30/9/88. I'm based in Bolton, if this helps.

Band E seems far too high. See if you can find archived 1991 newspaper property ads for similar houses, they will only show asking prices but it will give you a rough idea of what your house was worth then.

elaine-b

lincroft1710 wrote: »

It is not being used as a separate dwelling and is no one's sole or main residence, so I presume the council are basing their decision on these points.

As I suggested in my previous post, why don't you remove the kitchen and the annex will be merged with the main house giving you just one CT bill.

I did enquire with the valuation office about taking the kitchen out - but they said it made no difference as the pipework would still be there - Have also said about building an extension across from the main house across the back of the house to create a hallway between the house and the annexe. But this is not sufficient enough either! It can't be too difficult to remove the kitchen units and we could store them in the garage, but seems a lot of work to still find it's not going to make a difference.

It also has a fitted bathroom upstairs - I presume this would need removed and that isn't as simple as removing the kitchen. There is also a downstairs toilet!

I did read that if it's a planning stipulation that it can't be let separately then we should not be paying council tax on it, so I'm getting our solicitors who carried out the purchase of the house to see if that is the case.

I also noticed that it does not actually have a royal mail address.

Failing that we will say that one of us is living in there and then we will qualify for a 25% reduction on the council tax! I will just have to come back to the main house for congical rights :eek:

It is ludicrous - it is all part of the property and the plot of land - we didn't buy the house for one amount and the annexe for another. It was all one price! There reasoning for doing this is absurd - I can understand where there is a property not attached to the same plot is sitting empty and is run down, but in our case it isn't like that - as I say I'm not trying to get out of paying council tax on the annexe - I just don't see the justification in making us pay 150% because they class it as long term empty when it actually isn't!

I've had no reply to my e mail to the council (funnily enough) - I think I will send again and this time tell them until I get a satisfactory answer from them to my questions I am cancelling the direct debit for the annexe council tax.

CIS

answer from them to my questions I am cancelling the direct debit for the annexe council tax.

If you do then the council can commence legal action to recover any unpaid payments.