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

lincroft1710

elaine-b wrote: »

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 -

I'm ex VOA and dealt with many annex cases. If you cap pipework within the wall, plaster over and redecorate this will be sufficient.

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.

Complete fallacy.

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 doubt the council will believe this

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!

Totally irrelevant. CT law clearly states that where a property comprises 2 or more dwellings, then each dwelling will have its own CT band.

Remember if you did remove the kitchen and did what I consider to be the necessary work, you can make a formal appeal to have the two merged into one dwelling and have the matter determined by the independent Valuation Tribunal. If it got this far you can show them photos of the ex kitchen at the tribunal hearing and ask them to inspect the property.

elaine-b

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Remember if you did remove the kitchen and did what I consider to be the necessary work, you can make a formal appeal to have the two merged into one dwelling and have the matter determined by the independent Valuation Tribunal. If it got this far you can show them photos of the ex kitchen at the tribunal hearing and ask them to inspect the property.

Thanks once again lincroft1710

As my husband points out - we have to weigh up the pro's and con's - we plan to downsize when he retires in approx 5/6 years time - So over the next 5/6 years at the current rates, it's going to cost us £2500 - £3000 in council tax. Whoever buys the property may want to use it as a granny annexe or for their kids to live in - or they can then do the necessary work to merge the property into one council tax band.

I just feel that they are taking the mickey saying it's empty and substantially unfurnished - when it actually isn't. It is used on a daily basis (as I write hubby is over there in the gym)!

I also don't like why they say they are doing it - to bring empty properties back into use! This is not an empty property - it's part and parcel of our home!

As I said I am not quibbling about paying the council tax and we were made aware of this when buying the property - but to make us pay 150% on something that is part of our home!! That is my main argument!

lincroft1710

elaine-b wrote: »

Thanks once again lincroft1710

As my husband points out - we have to weigh up the pro's and con's - we plan to downsize when he retires in approx 5/6 years time - So over the next 5/6 years at the current rates, it's going to cost us £2500 - £3000 in council tax. Whoever buys the property may want to use it as a granny annexe or for their kids to live in - or they can then do the necessary work to merge the property into one council tax band.

I just feel that they are taking the mickey saying it's empty and substantially unfurnished - when it actually isn't. It is used on a daily basis (as I write hubby is over there in the gym)!

I also don't like why they say they are doing it - to bring empty properties back into use! This is not an empty property - it's part and parcel of our home!

As I said I am not quibbling about paying the council tax and we were made aware of this when buying the property - but to make us pay 150% on something that is part of our home!! That is my main argument!

As you say, the saving you may make could be more than offset by cost of the works and potential reduction in value should you sell.

The legislation is a "catch-all" type, there are no exceptions and so there will be some situations where the "supposed purpose" of the legislation could never apply.

In the past parliament has remedied some unfair or unintended aspects of CT legislation, e.g. exempting certain relatives because of age or disability from paying CT when they occupy an annex. But I'm not optimistic about anything happening with the current situation.

SCLAY1971

A good informative program again Martin.

I recently attempted to challenge my council tax band. I hit a brick wall but not with the old 6 month cliche. I did all the checks I could but the only one I cannot get is what my neighbours bought their properties for around 1991 because no-one did buy a property at that time. I bought my property in 1999, & there have been 2 other sales in the last 4 years. I went through the process of looking what I bought my property for & the 2 other sales using the valuation tools & on all three occassions these properties should be in a lower tax band. I wrote to the VOA, knowing I could not use the valuations from Nationwide etc, & their reply, "cannot proceed with your enquiry without evidence". How can I get evidence which does not exist, I can only go back as far as 1995. Are these people waking up to the fact that they know some of us cannot get this evidence. Not bad considering they are a public service. The Valuation Offices obviously know that the public are catching up with them, but it is ironic that mostly everything is stacked in their favour.
:mad:

JCD_Capulet

Hello everyone :hello:


I'm considering appealing my council tax band which currently is a band B. I've looked at the past selling prices of similar properties on my street using the information provided here and it seems that those past prices dating back to 1991 would have made this property a band A based on it's value.

Having just checked https://www.saa.gov.uk I've found that the twenty semi-detached two bed houses on the opposite side of the street are marked at band A!

*edit*

I've gone ahead and submitted my proposal for rebranding. According to the Scottish Assessors Association however, any claims made six months AFTER becoming the tax payer are invalid. Well, I can see this being rather interesting.

Fingers crossed something positive comes of it.

TracyD

Interesting program last night, so I thought I would check my band out.

The band I am in is band C 52,001 to 68,000.

But I have lived in the house nearly all my life and in 1993 me and my other half decided to buy the house from the council and of course part of that was the council valuing the house.

I dug out the documents they sent in 1993 and the value they put on the house was 39000.before the discount.

looking at the banding doesn't this mean by their value of the house I should be in band A?

Do people think I may have a case?

lincroft1710

TracyD wrote: »

Interesting program last night, so I thought I would check my band out.

The band I am in is band C 52,001 to 68,000.

But I have lived in the house nearly all my life and in 1993 me and my other half decided to buy the house from the council and of course part of that was the council valuing the house.

I dug out the documents they sent in 1993 and the value they put on the house was 39000.before the discount.

looking at the banding doesn't this mean by their value of the house I should be in band A?

Do people think I may have a case?

1) Council's value will ignore any tenant's improvements, so if you had improved the house prior to buying it, this won't be reflected in their valuation, but would be reflected in CT band.

2) 1993 values were generally lower than 1991 (the year of valuation for CT purposes), in some cases as much as 20%.

It is always worth enquiring especially if you can find similar houses nearby in a lower band. But don't be too optimistic!

FirstTimer4Me

Slightly confused with it all

We live in a private block of flats, 16 purpose built flats.

We are placed in band B

Entrance to the flats is via a private drive situated between 2 properties on a public road, the houses on the road with numbers 2,4,6,5,7,9 are banded between A, B, C, all the properties are of the same size.

However, local Tesco Express 500 ft away, is banded with "A" :eek:

Given the above, does it appear we have a case for investigation?

Hope I haven't confused anyone

The_Bookman

Before I punch something, could someone possibly direct me to, or send me the URL for the proposal form referred to here on the VOA website: "Complete a proposal form online via the Council Tax valuation list website.", because following the links given takes me on a completely circular journey, and knowing something of IT, it's hard not to come to the conclusion that this whole thing is designed to be deliberately obfuscatory.

arrowhead_2

I challenge my council tax banding 10 years ago, producing historical evidence of like for like properties that were valued in 1991 and were comparable with mine that was built in 1999. I also produced evidence of houses for sale in 1991 that were in the band F category as mine is and demonstrated that these houses were now worth almost double the value of mine. I did extensive research and produced a wealth of evidence.

The representative from the council challenged this with one statement "The general tone of the area would suggest that your house is in the correct banding". The tribunal carefully considered both arguments and decided that the evidence (statement) presented by the council was the most compelling and found against my appeal.

The house model that I occupy, is replicated throughout the estate and these replicants are in Band E. The only houses in band F are larger properties and mine. This is a travesty and I have been unfairly penalised since 2001 when I moved in but there is nothing I can do but pay up!


Outrageous!!