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

Jotts

Charleys_Cat wrote:

Hi I am a newbie to this and wondered if someone could clarify the situation, I lived in a cul de sac 1992 - 1998 and have just found out that our of 18 identical house T shaped 2 edroomed ones in same cul de sac built same time by same builder in 1992 were all A band apart from me and a neighbour who were Band B, (Ironically the third house in out T block was a Band A ) we have both moved out 1998, is there any way you can reclaim those years after you have moved out? As I would pressume if you had not paid they would chase you for money after you had moved out wouldnt they? Can someone tell me where we stand on the matter Many Thanks

Unfortunately as you no longer live there you don't have a current interest in the property. So you cannot appeal BUT if the current owners were to get their band reduced then you could chase the council.

BUT this is only if the current owners have their band reduced.

Unfortunately the legislation suggests it is up to the owner of the property to check their banding. If that means you didn't check your Council Tax band while you lived there it is seen as your missed opportunity.

And thats not saying whether the band is correct is not.

SteveUK_3

Altarf wrote:

I suspect that there might be a sudden tightening up of the 6 month rule.

there cant be a tightening of it, how can you tighten a rule that is already clear ? if you have been in the property less than six months you can appeal - if over six months you can request a review and ask them to consider the band

welshgasman

Jotts,

Many thanks for the advice and info.
When I first checked the figures, my house at £17950 in 1980 was worth £43300 in 1991, which is Band B and not Band D which I am paying.

Unfortunately I am in Wales so the amount is not as great, but it was still only £75800 in 2003, which still equates to Band C from your info.

So it would appear I have been ripped off since the Council Tax started. !!!

I will be contacting them next week, as I dare say a lot of people will be doing.

SteveUK_3

As someone, jike Jott, who once worked for the VOA till recently id like to say the following following on from what Jott said :-

1) there is definately not a conspiracy over the website, like most websites when the traffic is suddenly busy it can cause problems - please remember that its now the weekend and the IT crew responsible probably either arent working or are on as a skeleton crew

2) some people (friends and ex-colleagues of mine) are giving up there weekends to provide telephone support today.

3) And finally an inaccuracy from Fridays programme - It made out that the only thing done to value the properties in 1991 was a 'second gear' drive bys this is untrue. The Valuation Office has records and surverys of at least 95% of all domestic properties and the drive bys were mainly to see if these were accurate or if they needed changing. So the valuations were done on the FACTUAL DETAILS of the property and not just a quick drive by and a tick in the banding box

SteveUK_3

welshgasman wrote:

Jotts,

Many thanks for the advice and info.
When I first checked the figures, my house at £17950 in 1980 was worth £43300 in 1991, which is Band B and not Band D which I am paying.

Unfortunately I am in Wales so the amount is not as great, but it was still only £75800 in 2003, which still equates to Band C from your info.

So it would appear I have been ripped off since the Council Tax started. !!!

I will be contacting them next week, as I dare say a lot of people will be doing.

Hey Welshgasman,

Please note that the values listed by Jott are very helpful but a little misleading - they are for the recent revaluation and show 2003 prices - the values you need to look at are the 1991 list for wales which are (cant remember the exact amounts) similiar to the ones he listed for England and Wales 1991 prices (try deducting about 10% from these prices)

Jotts

welshgasman wrote:

Jotts,

Many thanks for the advice and info.
When I first checked the figures, my house at £17950 in 1980 was worth £43300 in 1991, which is Band B and not Band D which I am paying.

Unfortunately I am in Wales so the amount is not as great, but it was still only £75800 in 2003, which still equates to Band C from your info.

So it would appear I have been ripped off since the Council Tax started. !!!

I will be contacting them next week, as I dare say a lot of people will be doing.

Get in touch with your local office.

At the end of the day its its incorrect then they will reduce it.

However can I ask where you got your valuations from. The Valuation office use ACTUAL sales evidence to value properties. Some of the online valuation websites can vary as they use an average %.

I looked at the estate I live in for 1991 prices. Three houses on the estate actually sold for £65k in 1991. However one of the calculators that Martin suggests estimated my property to be worth £55k in 1991.

The Valuation office would use the sales evidence to counter my claim that my property was worth £55k.

So be wary, the calculator may also say your property is worth more than it was also.

But at the end of the day the Valuation Office can only rely on ACTUAL Sales evidence.

Oh and I know to find out that you may have been overpaying can anger people but please don't suggest you have been ripped off as this isn't the case.

Jotts

SteveUK wrote:

Hey Welshgasman,

Please note that the values listed by Jott are very helpful but a little misleading - they are for the recent revaluation and show 2003 prices - the values you need to look at are the 1991 list for wales which are (cant remember the exact amounts) similiar to the ones he listed for England and Wales 1991 prices (try deducting about 10% from these prices)

Hope this clarifies the old Bands and new bands for WALES ONLY.


Band Property Values 1993 Valuation List for Wales

A Up to £30,000
B £30,000 to £39,000
C £39,000 to £51,000
D £51,000 to £66,000
E £66,000 to £90,000
F £90,000 to £120,000
G £120,000 to £240,000
H £240,001 and above


Then the revaluation bands with a new extra band I.

B]Band Value of your home on 1st April 2003 in Wales[/B]

Range of values Valuation band

Values not exceeding £44,000 A
Values exceeding £44,000 but not exceeding £65,000 B
Values exceeding £65,000 but not exceeding £91,000 C
Values exceeding £91,000 but not exceeding £123,000 D
Values exceeding £123,000 but not exceeding £162,000 E
Values exceeding £162,000 but not exceeding £223,000 F
Values exceeding £223,000 but not exceeding £324,000 G
Values exceeding £324,000 but not exceeding £424,000 H
Values exceeding £424,000 I


I repeat these are not applicable in England!!

tarinilie

Jotts wrote:

Apologizes in advance for the long post and deviating from point to point. But hopefully this can be a worthy post.

As someone who actually worked for the Valuation Office until 2006 I can give you some facts. A lot of the people in the Valuation Office are blamed for work that was done by Estate agents and are believed to be part of the council which they are not. Yes there are some lazy slobs in the agency but this is true in all walks of life. There are a lot of great honest fair people who I had the pleasure to work with for many years.

A lot of what was said on Tonight with Trevor McDonald WAS TRUE however a lot of it was sensationalized or partially true....


Excellent post .

It is my understanding the estate agents were given what is known as 'precis sheets'
These showed house types, areas, age etc.

But estate agents aren't known for their scrupulous practices - I'm sure many did a good job and many didn't!

Some were 'disinstructed' following quality assurance.

Sure the 'second gear' valuation was involved but the govt needed to do the job done quickly - Worst riots for years, iron lady on the rack etc.

So the VOA get criticism for not internally viewing houses to revalue houses.

And of course the VOA last year got much critisism for wanting to enter houses. 'Council snoopers' invading your privacy; valuing 'a view' which (doh) does add value so really shouldn't they take it into accout ?- think about it carefully?

Last year the media was laying into the VOA suggesting that 'council snoopers' were invading your privacy and about to fine you for refusing entry.

Caroline Spelman MP (cons) was particularly vehement but what is the alternative to a property tax ?

By the way, the refusal of entry legislation was brought in by the conservatives and I'm not sure it has ever been used.

I'd prefer them to do it accurately, regularly using any information which can be gleaned.

Why should someone get away with erecting a huge extension and still stay in the same band for 12 years.

It's the people like me living in terrace housing who can't build extensions that are subsidising the middle and upper classes again.

Commercial rates are revalued every 5 years - why not domestic properties?


Don't forget, if a domestic reval is tax neutral with more bands, they'd be more winners than losers- that's just math

The Welsh reval did raise many people's bands but don't forget there's 1 more band now and i understand the Welsh reval was not 'Tax Neutral'.
How else could they afford the Doctor Who set?


The Daily Express reported last week 1 in 4 bands were wrong - I'm not so sure but then again I don't sell papers.

welshgasman

>>However can I ask where you got your valuations from.

I used the Nationwide site as mentioned in the article.

Either way I seem to have a lot of margin to work with, ie if they disagree with the figures and believe them to be slightly higher, I still should be reclassed.

As you say, I can just make a request for rebanding and see what turns up.

Jotts

welshgasman wrote:

>>However can I ask where you got your valuations from.

I used the Nationwide site as mentioned in the article.

Either way I seem to have a lot of margin to work with, ie if they disagree with the figures and believe them to be slightly higher, I still should be reclassed.

As you say, I can just make a request for rebanding and see what turns up.

Oh definately.

If anyone on this site believes their band is incorrect then get in touch with the Valuation office BUT please do some homework first.

The amount of people who appeal because of factors that do not have anything to do with their council tax band outweighs those who may genuinely be in the wrong band.

As a result of this it obviously takes longer to deal with peoples appeals and enquirys due to the workload.