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

lincroft1710

Graham_Wilson wrote: »

Would any lawyers out there wish to comment?

There are a few MSE posters with legal knowledge but probably none with the specialist knowledge you appear to be wanting. If you want legal advice then you will probably have to pay for it. In my opinion expecting 40% or so interest is totally unrealistic, where money is held to be owed the maximum interest payable is 8%.

A code of practice may not have any legal status, but there would have to be a very compelling reason for an organisation (especially an Agency of HMRC) to deviate from it.

As there is no legal requirement for interest to be paid on CT refunds, the VOA could be criticised for wasting public money if they did pay interest.

Bubbles914

Hi,
Apologise if I’m in the wrong forum ( my first post)
I’m looking for some advice.. I currently rent a two bed end terrace house which was built in 2014. I was curious about council tax bands, so decided to check what my neighbours bands are. After checking I notice they are the same band as me even though the rest of the houses are 3 beds. Is this something that is taken into consideration when “banding” is issued? I would be grateful for any advice 👍🏼 Thank you!

lincroft1710

Bubbles914 wrote: »

Hi,
Apologise if I’m in the wrong forum ( my first post)
I’m looking for some advice.. I currently rent a two bed end terrace house which was built in 2014. I was curious about council tax bands, so decided to check what my neighbours bands are. After checking I notice they are the same band as me even though the rest of the houses are 3 beds. Is this something that is taken into consideration when “banding” is issued? I would be grateful for any advice 👍🏼 Thank you!

The size of the dwelling has more significance than the number of bedrooms when calculating CT bands. Because of the width of the bands it is very easy for there to be very many different dwellings in the same band. Your home could be at the bottom of the band, the 3 beds at the top.

sildenafil

I have just realised that living alone entitles me to a 25% discount on council tax. My ex-partner moved out of my house in October 2016. Would I have recourse to reclaim payments from back then? Or will I only be able to get a discount moving forwards now when I contact my local council?

Many thanks

CIS

sildenafil wrote: »

I have just realised that living alone entitles me to a 25% discount on council tax. My ex-partner moved out of my house in October 2016. Would I have recourse to reclaim payments from back then? Or will I only be able to get a discount moving forwards now when I contact my local council?

Many thanks

There's no specific legislative limit on backdating, some councils may put a fight however.

ddks

We've gathered all the sales evidence used by the VOA in previous VTS cases, sales from 1990 to 1992 - 4 of which are infill plots and 2 are estate developments but 3 properties have double garages, they range from 123 to 131m2.

One of the properties was sold in Feb 91 for £100,000 then again in Jan 1992 for £91,000 - so shows a timeline of the market behaviour over 11 months.

The town is not very big 2 miles from south to west and 7 miles from south to north and the properties used have been situated everywhere.

We've confirmed the sale of a property from 1991 - which is in close proximity to the 4 properties used by the VOA. It measures 122m2 & is a 4 bed detached with a single garage. It fetched £74,000 in 1991.

We've confirmed the sale of a 4 bed modern property with a single garage - in close proximity to one of the sales used by the VOA. It measures 117m2 & sold for £68,000 in 1991.

The sales information shows that there was a minimum difference of £24,000 for an additional garage. Modern properties or large estate properties fetched £6,000 less than smaller estate developments or existing properties. Properties on infill plots achieved a minimum £10,000 more than estate developments.

A new build 4 bed with a double garage measuring 149m2 was sold in 1991 for £104,000. If this property only had a single garage it would have been worth approx £80,000.

A new build 4 bed with a single garage 133m2 sold in 1991 for £82,000.

The staff at the local office & the SLO does not want to discuss the information!?!

Most of the residents have been resident in their properties for over 6 months and their properties are not over 149m2 and do not have 2 garages.

FOI - shows bandings of properties built in 2006 & up to 142m2 with single garages reduced from E to D in the absence of an appeal! VTS cases for similar properties under 142m2 have defended a band E!?

Any ideas what the next move should be? TIA

lincroft1710

ddks - An extra garage adding 30% to a house value seems unrealistic. As there are no details of your house and its current band, it is difficult to advise.

I would suggest that a town that is 7 miles north to south must have a fair size population.

ddks

lincroft1710 wrote: »

ddks - An extra garage adding 30% to a house value seems unrealistic. As there are no details of your house and its current band, it is difficult to advise.

I would suggest that a town that is 7 miles north to south must have a fair size population.

The town was not that size in 1991 & it's made up of 2 towns. There has been a lot of development since 1991. But no changes in the locality.

The residents are in properties ranging between 132m2 to 142m2 of varying types of detached single garages or single integral garages. All placed in a Band E

Sales used:-
4 bed 1 integral grg- Oct 90 -£95,000 - 130m2 - infill plot - built 1990
4 bed " " - Jan 91 -£89,950 - 130m2 - " " - built 1970
4 bed " " - Feb 91 £100,000 - 130m2 - " " - new 91
4 bed " " - Feb 91 £110k - 131m2 - infill - additional single grg at rear - since reduced to band D - access to grg at rear fenced off - built 1988
4 bed double grg - Feb 91 £100k - 128m2 - small estate - built 88
4 bed double grg - Jul 91 £92k - 123m2 - large new estate - built 88
4 bed double grg - Jan 92 £91k - 128m2 - small estate - same prop which sold in Feb 91 for £100k

Factor in the missed sales:- 122m2 Aug 91 - 1 grg £74k a stones throw from the property sale in Feb 91 & Jan 92 - D

117m2 in Sept 91 - 1 grg 68k on the same larger estate as the 123m2 property. - D

Another sale 1970's built 150m2 in May 91 for £77,495 - D

Compared to new builds on the larger estate that sold for £82k in 91 -133m2 - placed in band D - which have never been used!?

Those reduced in the absence of an appeal from E to D 142m2 - they have been aware of since 2009 & remain unchanged with no improvement indicator. In a letter they acknowledged an inconsistency & did nothing further.

Residents are told that they cannot compare their properties to those built & sold in 1991 on the original estate!

Also established that there wasn't any difference between 1991 to 93 prices in the area

We assume that there is no requirement for them to follow the law & make it up as they go along!

lincroft1710

ddks - surprised the 131 sq m infill was reduced to Band D. Something unusual in 150 sq m house selling for £77,495, although there may be a good reason. Otherwise all the sales seem OK and prove their respective bands.

There may seem to be no difference in 1991 and 1993 prices (which would be unusual for non new builds) but clearly a difference between 1991 and 1992.

ddks

lincroft1710 wrote: »

ddks - surprised the 131 sq m infill was reduced to Band D. Something unusual in 150 sq m house selling for £77,495, although there may be a good reason. Otherwise all the sales seem OK and prove their respective bands.

There may seem to be no difference in 1991 and 1993 prices (which would be unusual for non new builds) but clearly a difference between 1991 and 1992.

Exactly what we thought, the property was extended in 1988 - spoke with the current owner property was not adapted prior to their purchase. The adjacent property owns the land (access the grg at the rear, which has been fenced off) he has not restricted or stopped access.

150m2 is a 1970 property was extended in 88/89 to create 4 bed,2 bathroom property- not dissimilar to the sale in Jan 91 also 1970s infill property extended prior to 91 to create a 4 bed, 2 bath property.

Sale of the same 128m2 property in Feb91(100k)& again in Jan92(91k) shows 9k reduction over 11 months (818.18 per month)

A property within spitting distance of that above 122m2 was sold in Aug 91 sold for 74k

The sale in July 91 123m2 is the other end of town. On the same estate 117m2 (less than 12mths old) sold for 68k in Sept 91.

We!!!8217;ve used the monthly reduction to work the figures back to April 91 - showed properties on one side of the town were 5k cheaper than the other side. Still shows a minimum difference of £22k+ between a property with a double garage as opposed to one with a single garage.

Making no adjustments pushes the figure up to 24k & the same difference remained in 1993.

Nothing unusual about the prices in this area, It!!!8217;s always been cheap as chips & there really is nothing here!

Either way, the sale doesn!!!8217;t support either the 2k or 8k garage difference, whether you use the monthly difference or if you use the 8k drop from feb91 (100k) to July 91 (92k).

The sale in Feb 91 of 110k has always been a more expensive road