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

Impet_Limpet

The semi detached house I live in is banded at C, The detached houses opposite are band C but the semis over that side are banded B

The houses on our side of the road are banded C near the top of the street but then our semi detched neighbours who are attached to us are band B (effective 1st April 1993 it was band C before that so they may have appealed) then the ones on the other side of our neightbours are all band B too.

Our house and the joined neighbours are the only ones identical in layout and design externally and internally (it was built by the builders for their immediate family) they are the only two that look the same all others on the street are slightly different.

Next doors house was sold for £108,000 in 09/2005, and £48,000 in 08/2000. using the https://www.nationwide.co.uk/hpi feature with both of these values it is estimated to have been worth either £41,244 or £48,000 depending which we use.

The house I live in was valued for remorgaing purposes in approx 1992 but there is no date on the valuation the only reason we can guess the year is it mentions some attic work we had carried out "approx 7 years ago" and we know it was carried out in 1985 making the date of this valuation 1992. This valuation give our house £52,000.

Is this basis enough for an appeal?
The family of my b/f have lived here for 26 years (before me and my b/f were born!)

Jotts

Cymrogog wrote:

Hi

This is our situation:

We've been in our house since May 2001, when we paid £59,000 for it. We've been paying council tax band C.

We've followed Martin's instructions to work out whether we'd be entitled to a rebanding, but have a couple of problems:
1. The house wasn't built until 1992
2. all similar houses on our street are also on Band C

However, the house price calculator worked out that the value of our house in 1991 & 1992 would have been around £38,000 (Band A). This is based on using the last house price sale on our street which was £107,500 in July 2004.

Our question is, would we have a possible claim for rebanding purely based on the above?

Has anybody been in a similar position or could advise us?

Thank you!!

Cymrogog

Hi Cymrogog

Due to your name I'm assuming you live in Wales.

If that is correct I have to tell you that would would assume you are currently in the correct band. Band C.

Wales had a revaluation in 2005 using a date of 1st of April 2003.
Band C for the Reval is properties exceeding £65k up to £91k.

If you purchased the property in 2001 at £59k and house prices have grown then that would clearly put you into a band C as of 1st April 2003.

The confusion here is England HAVE NOT HAS THEIR REVALUATION and are still assesed at 1991 values.

So I would suggest that your Band C is correct.

HOWEVER what band were you in pre 1st April 2005??

Jotts

rayjay120 wrote:

sorry if this has been asked or answered before but with over 500 posts its a bit difficult to find. My question is this- i have moved house in the last 6 months and my new house is correctly banded but my previous house was apparently overbanded - does anyone know if i can claim back what i have been overpaying for the last 10 years.

It is your responsibility to check that the Council Tax band at the property you live is correct at the time you are their.

If you no longer live their then you are NO LONGER HAVE A LEGAL INTEREST in that property so you are unable to make any challenge to the band at that property.

HOWEVER if the band at that property is reduced as a result of the current owner and the reason for reduction was valid also while you were there (ie it was incorrect and not due to a new bypass that wasn't there when you were there) then you can get in touch with the council (who deal with Council Tax bills) and ask them for a refund.

Therefore keep an eye on the VOAs website for any changes to the band.

BUT as you no longer live there the Valuation Office cannot help you as you have no current legal interest in that property and interveing could in worse case scenario mean the band is increased and the current owners could chase you!!!!

pesky_princess

hi! I am currently following the guide to see if my parents are in the wrong banding... I have done all the steps, finding that a house identical to my parents is in band C - so is my parents.. so not different but got to the bit where you work out how much your house would have been in 1991, and it gave me the figure £50,009. now judging by the banding table, band C is for properties between £52,001 and £68,000, and band B is between £40.001 and £52,000.. now am i being stupid here... its all been a bit complicated! lol
my parents are in band C but according to the banding tables.. the value of their house in 1991 (£50,009) means they should be in band B.. is this right?? and if it is.. how do i go about appealing and what reason do i state?
I would be so grateful for any help if anyone could put me straight!! :beer:
thanks!!!

Jotts

lisaburton wrote:

HI not sure if anyone will be able to help I have had a look on line at the voa site.

Me and my husband brought our house in dec 2003.

Looking at the site on our address it says court code C date effective 01/04/2003 what does this mean.

On the voa site it is showing the majority of house in my street band B all these houses are 3 bedrooms some semi some end of terrace.
in our culdasac there are 6 houses that are also 3 bedrooms but are designed slightly different and these are in band C alongside the 11 4 bedroom houses in the street.


I have also worked out the value of our house in 1991 by looking at my neighbours home which was brought in 2004 for 102,00 so this makes the value in 1991 38,075.

Before I attempt to go ahead at reducing my band and possibly getting a rebate could some one let me know what Court Code C means and the effective date is.

Many thanks

Lisa

Court Code C means CORRECT after a Court Decision.

I.e you or the previous owner made an appeal against the Council Tax Band and went to tribunal as it couldn't be agreed with the Valuation Office.
Therefore the Tribunal made the decision that The Council Tax Band of C was correct.

Therefore you CANNOT MAKE ANOTHER APPEAL.

If you didn't make the appeal then you had 6 months as from December 2003 to make a Valid appeal against the band. Now the 6 months are over.

However if there has been a Material Decrease in value since the date of purchase e.g a factory built next door, or half the property has been demolished then you can appeal.

BUT if not then you cannot do anything. The fact it has been to Court means a higher decision was taken.

AND the fact that 1st April 2003 is mentioned am I correct in thinking you live in Wales?

For Wales after Revaluation the Band C is for properties valued from £65k to £91k. Therefore the fact a similar neighbour sold for £102k in 2004 would suggest in 2003 it would clearly fetch more than £65k.

Give your local Valuation Office a call if there is anything that is unclear to you BUT if you live in Wales, according to what you've said I would assume you are in the correct Band.

Jotts

pesky_princess wrote:

hi! I am currently following the guide to see if my parents are in the wrong banding... I have done all the steps, finding that a house identical to my parents is in band C - so is my parents.. so not different but got to the bit where you work out how much your house would have been in 1991, and it gave me the figure £50,009. now judging by the banding table, band C is for properties between £52,001 and £68,000, and band B is between £40.001 and £52,000.. now am i being stupid here... its all been a bit complicated! lol
my parents are in band C but according to the banding tables.. the value of their house in 1991 (£50,009) means they should be in band B.. is this right?? and if it is.. how do i go about appealing and what reason do i state?
I would be so grateful for any help if anyone could put me straight!! :beer:
thanks!!!

Firstly if they have lived there more than 6 months they CANNOT APPEAL unless there is a material change in the property. See some of my previous posts.

BUT THEY CAN ASK FOR THE BAND TO BE RELOOKED AT.

But gather all your evidence first.

The Valuation office only use ACTUAL SALES EVIDENCE and do not use estimated calculators.

Now as the calculator is only £2k out could be an incorrect guide. In my case properties on my estate in 1991 ACTUALLY sold for £65k BUT the online calculators suggest them to be worth £55k!!

The calculators give a general guide. Where you actually live could vary. For example two identical houses in a street could have different values due to views, a garage etc etc.

I would suggest doing more homework. Find out actual sales evidence in 1991. If there are a few properties in the street which sold for £52k+ then the band is likely to be correct. If the majority sold for less then ask for the Band to be relooked at but give your reasons.

Be polite but check facts carefully before using them. Good luck.

Jotts

Hi

Can I just make a few suggestions.

I used to work for the Valuation Office so please take note.

There is a difference between having your band relooked at and an appeal. Most posters will unlikely be able to make a valid appeal. BUT YOU CAN ASK FOR THE BAND TO BE RELOOKED AT.

BUT get all your facts correct first. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

The online Calculators are ONLY A GUIDE. THEY ARE NOT FACT. The valuation office use ACTUAL SALES EVIDENCE. So if the online calculator says your house was worth £50k but sales evidence shows they actually sold for £70k then that is FACT.

So look for Actual Sales Evidence and compare with properties that are similar or identical and are in similar or identical areas. Ideally on the same street or even better next door.

WALES HAVE HAD A REVALUATION IN 2005. They used a valuation date of 1st April 2003 for this. So your current bad in Wales is as of 2003 and NOT 1991. Although the band before 2005 was valued at 1991.

HOMEWORK HOMEWORK HOMEWORK. If you can present clear concise and correct evidence you are in a better position.

Any problems regarding your Council Tax Band speak to the Valuation Office.

Any queries regarding BILLS or Council Tax issues speak to your local authority/ Council or your local MP.

Zebedeee

Good post, Jotts. That seems to me to be a very good summary of the way to approach this. From my (limited) experience in this council tax business (recently challenging my banding) and from the help from fellow posters on this thread I've been able to make some sense of it all.

Anyone who is thinking of challenging their banding, read the above postings (especially Jamsiebabie and Jotts) carefully. It will save you time and trouble in the end.

looking_to_save_money

Council tax saving?

What is the best chance to get a refund:

1. Is it if other houses around me (that are the same) have a different code?

OR

2. If the HPI with Nationwide puts me in a lower group?

thanks to all!!:beer:

Magicmark_3

I have read through the article and tried to wade through the many posts on this thread for help - but still would appreciate some advice.

Our house is detached and in band E. Our neighbours are semi-detached but with exactly the same layout and size and are band C. They are joined onto a house with an extra bedroom built over the garage - and that too is band C.

The majority of the road is band C with the exception of 3 other houses that are much larger than ours which are in band E.

We purchased the house in April 1999 and paid £53k.

I feel that we are in the wrong band but am not sure what to put in the letter to the VOA - as I presume I will need to give my justifications.

Could anyone advise what to put in the letter please as "I believe the council tax banding list is incorrect, as my house is in the wrong band, and I ask that it is corrected." seems to be a bit vague.


Many thanks

Mark

Sorry - should add - we live in England