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

dodgy123

Hi,
I'm after your thoughts.


I live in a mid terrace in a row of 8 near identical houses in Milton Keynes. I gave my location as I would say i'm either East Anglia (on the weather map)or East Midlands but the Nationwide House price calculator puts my postcode as Outer South East?
One End of terrace house is band D one Band C, Both are marked as having improvements on the council tax search.
I checked another similar terrace at the end of my road they're all band c properties

Looking at the tax bands for my immediate Neighbours 4 are band C and 4 are band D (including me)
When I search all the house prices I can find for these properties over the years.
10 sales since 1999 an average of £63800 estimated 1991 value, only 3 of these sales fall into band D price estimation.
The lowest and highest estimated value came in 1999 & 2000 respectively.
Do you think its worth rocking the boat?


Thanks for your time, I hope that makes sense

stuarta99

Just checked on the voa website and it shows that out of the 3 styles of houses in my street, they range from band c for 3 bed terraced houses, band d for my 3 bed semi and e for some detached which are 4 beds. Valuation check puts my place at 61-62k in 1991.

Have just checked again though and noticed that there are some 4 bed semis at band d whereas I only have 3 beds

lincroft1710

dodgy123 wrote: »

Do you think its worth rocking the boat?

If you don't ask you won't know which is correct. See if you can find any banding history on the Band Cs, were they reduced? Bear in mind that D may be correct.

Don't rely on house price indices, they are not accurate.

lincroft1710

stuarta99 wrote: »

Just checked on the voa website and it shows that out of the 3 styles of houses in my street, they range from band c for 3 bed terraced houses, band d for my 3 bed semi and e for some detached which are 4 beds. Valuation check puts my place at 61-62k in 1991.

Have just checked again though and noticed that there are some 4 bed semis at band d whereas I only have 3 beds

Because there are only 8 bands you will get a variety of houses in each band. House price indices aren't accurate, but if I were you I would still appeal. Even if there is no reduction you will at least find out if the band is correct. Investigate other 3 bed semis in the locality to support your appeal.

Moireach

I cant decide whether to challenge our council tax band. In Scotland for Band D it's 45k-58k and Band E 58k-80k.


We bought in October and I used our home report value with the Nationwide calculator to find a 1991 value of 50.8k-53k depending on which quarter (I don't know which one I'm supposed to use).


It's pretty excruciating that we're in the higher bracket when our house isn't that valuable, and the CT takes a similar percentage of our income to National Insurance!


However having read MSE's thread, the Neighbour check could be a problem. The whole estate is in Band E based on 1999 values.


So is it worth challenging...? Any advice appreciated.

lincroft1710

Moireach wrote: »

So is it worth challenging...? Any advice appreciated.

As time is running out and you think the band is incorrect, make a formal appeal. No guarantee of reduction and remember that House Price Indices are inaccurate and generalised and more unreliable the further you are from 1991. You would need to be looking at the 2nd quarter of 1991.

jsrose

Hi I received a call yesterday from the Valuations Office that I have been re banded to band D (I was previously in band E). They are sending out letters to me and Barnet Council this week. I have lived in my new build house for over 13 years - how can I get my compensation please?

Thanks
Joanne

lincroft1710

jsrose wrote: »

- how can I get my compensation please?

The council will usually automatically refund any overpayment.

gnulinux

A property in Aberdeen, Band G, was split into 2 flats end of 2002, both Band E. Individual flats were sold at that point. Turned out that the seller of the un-split property did not own the property. Therefore the split-off was invalid - decided by the court end of 2014. The property is now in vacant possession of a Trustee. Can the individual flat 'owners' reclaim the excess council tax paid over all those years since clearly 2 x Band E > 1 x Band G??

lincroft1710

gnulinux wrote: »

Can the individual flat 'owners' reclaim the excess council tax paid over all those years since clearly 2 x Band E > 1 x Band G??

No. CT banding is based on de facto (what is/was there ) as opposed to de iure (what is right or legal). So the property was correctly banded as there were 2 flats with separate occupations therefore 2 CT bands. Until the flats are converted to a single dwelling, under CT law, the 2 bands should remain.

Also liability for CT rests with the occupier not the owner, so even though you have now discovered you were not the legal owner of the flat, you were the occupier.