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

CIS

Woby_Tide wrote: »

Next steps?

So having purchased a property in January I appealed and was just granted a reduction backdated to the original build date in 2003. Obviously I only gain a bit from this but what can I do for

a) previous occupiers
b) neighbours

I presume the previous occupiers can request a repayment but the neighbours are all now stuck in the wrong band presumably as none of them moved in within 6 months. Is there anything the others can do?

Where they can't appeal they can still ask the VOA to check the banding is right.

lincroft1710

Woby_Tide wrote: »

Next steps?

So having purchased a property in January I appealed and was just granted a reduction backdated to the original build date in 2003. Obviously I only gain a bit from this but what can I do for

a) previous occupiers
b) neighbours

I presume the previous occupiers can request a repayment but the neighbours are all now stuck in the wrong band presumably as none of them moved in within 6 months. Is there anything the others can do?

If neighbours' houses are the same as yours, the VOA should start programme of reviewing their bands

binnie

Hi My mother in law passed away last June and in Feb this year my husband (the executor) got a full bill for the council tax. He noticed it was in band B.
His sister asked the neighbour what band she was in and she said A.
My mother in laws house was in a far worse state and not had work done like the neighbours so he filled the forms in for a rebate.
He got turned down. So he appealed.
Now they are saying he should have done it within 6 months after his mums death. But he didn't know until he got the new bill.

Is this correct?

lincroft1710

binnie wrote: »

Hi My mother in law passed away last June and in Feb this year my husband (the executor) got a full bill for the council tax. He noticed it was in band B.
His sister asked the neighbour what band she was in and she said A.
My mother in laws house was in a far worse state and not had work done like the neighbours so he filled the forms in for a rebate.
He got turned down. So he appealed.
Now they are saying he should have done it within 6 months after his mums death. But he didn't know until he got the new bill.

Is this correct?

If your husband became the owner of the property at the date of his mother's death and there was no other person occupying the property at that time, then yes it is correct.

binnie

Well yes he and his sister were left the property, my husband was the executor only.
He didn't know anything about the council tax grading until we started receiving the bills as his mum never knew she was in the wrong band.
It's a pity the council tax hadn't realised this and refunded her years ago.

lincroft1710

binnie wrote: »

Well yes he and his sister were left the property, my husband was the executor only.
He didn't know anything about the council tax grading until we started receiving the bills as his mum never knew she was in the wrong band.
It's a pity the council tax hadn't realised this and refunded her years ago.

Was your husband appealing as the executor of the estate or as a co-owner of an unoccupied property? I have to say that I am unsure if a beneficiary's ownership starts from the date of death of the testator (his mother) or date of probate.

Councils will not usually query if a band is correct or not, they will just charge on the given band for a dwelling. Until it is established that the CT band of your MIL's home is incorrect, she would not have been overcharged. A dwelling's poor repair cannot be reflected in the band. There is a possibility that that the band of the neighbour's house is too low.

Woby_Tide

lincroft1710 wrote: »

If neighbours' houses are the same as yours, the VOA should start programme of reviewing their bands

Thanks, that appears to be exactly what's happened as the entire set of houses has all been updated and "down banded". Hope the neighbours appreciate my work.....!

rabbitlover

lincroft1710 wrote: »

CT legislation allows current owners to extend their homes without the band being increased. But following a sale the band can be increased. The addition of a conservatory on its own will not usually lead to a band increase. It is also unusual for an extension to lead to a band increase of more than one.

Yes, I am aware of that - which is why I feel disgruntled.

Oddeye

Hello all

First time poster here

I am currently reviewing my council tax banding, (currently C)

I live down a road-less street along a set of 10-13 terrace houses on each side (2-3 rooms)

On the roads ether side of the terraces there are semi detached houses (3-4 rooms)

We are all in band C, some of the semi detached houses are on band D, due to extensions

My question is , should terrace houses be on the same banding as semi detached houses?

Any help is much appreciated:beer: !

lincroft1710

Oddeye wrote: »

My question is , should terrace houses be on the same banding as semi detached houses?

If the 1991 value of a terraced house and the 1991 value of a semi-detached house both fall between the limits of a particular CT band then clearly both dwellings should be in that band.

For example terraced worth £52,500 in 1991, semi detached worth £67,500. Band C values £52,001 to £68,000, so Band C would be correct for both dwellings.