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

lincroft1710

It only in recent years that the Land Registry has allowed house prices into the public domain and the earliest date is 1994. I do not know why the confidentiality still exists other than what I previously posted.

Gross external is the area of the actual house measured round the external walls and all floors added together. Any area with headroom less than 1.50 m is ignored as are integral garages and conservatories which are of inferior construction to the rest of the house.

blindman

lincroft1710 wrote: »

It only in recent years that the Land Registry has allowed house prices into the public domain and the earliest date is 1994. I do not know why the confidentiality still exists other than what I previously posted.

Gross external is the area of the actual house measured round the external walls and all floors added together. Any area with headroom less than 1.50 m is ignored as are integral garages and conservatories which are of inferior construction to the rest of the house.

So basically with my house as the top floor area mirrors the bottom it will be 2 x the external house area?

So for this example

I'm looking at 67 Sqm ?

blindman

As I said in my first post in this topic I did challenge the council within 6 months of moving in.

Would it be worth going back to them with this new evidence and saying they got it wrong?

It was 1996 and about Sept\October.

I had a physical meeting with someome from the council who basically said No, without providing evidence.

Thanks

ETA

The house in question was rebanded from An "E" to a "D" in 1993

Would a FOIA query be able to tell me on what grounds?

lincroft1710

blindman wrote: »

So basically with my house as the top floor area mirrors the bottom it will be 2 x the external house area?

So for this example

I'm looking at 67 Sqm ?

I think that figure they quote is gross internal rather than gross external. You are correct on twice external area

blindman

lincroft1710 wrote: »

I think that figure they quote is gross internal rather than gross external

Looks that way but I have just seen that the house I am comparing with has external measurements.


BTW


Any thoughts on this


ETA

The house in question was rebanded from An "E" to a "D" in 1993

Would a FOIA query to the council be able to tell me on what grounds?

lincroft1710

blindman wrote: »

As I said in my first post in this topic I did challenge the council within 6 months of moving in.

Would it be worth going back to them with this new evidence and saying they got it wrong?

It was 1996 and about Sept\October.

I had a physical meeting with someome from the council who basically said No, without providing evidence.

Thanks

ETA

The house in question was rebanded from An "E" to a "D" in 1993

Would a FOIA query be able to tell me on what grounds?

If you had made a valid proposal back in 1996, you had the right to go to a Valuation Tribunal. You have already submitted your evidence so no point resubmitting.

I do not know if an FOI request applies here (FOI was in its infancy during my time at VOA) and there were exemptions. Even if you could submit FOI request, the reason for reduction may never have been recorded or could be so suitably vague as to be useless.

blindman

lincroft1710 wrote: »

If you had made a valid proposal back in 1996, you had the right to go to a Valuation Tribunal. You have already submitted your evidence so no point resubmitting.


I rang the council, some bloke came round and said NO-Hardly a valid proposal.
I had no evidence to produce apart from the price I paid for the house.



I do not know if an FOI request applies here (FOI was in its infancy during my time at VOA) and there were exemptions. Even if you could submit FOI request, the reason for reduction may never have been recorded or could be so suitably vague as to be useless.

Is that how it works in VOA :rotfl:


Thanks for all your help and advice, I will soldier on and see if I can get to the truth

lincroft1710

blindman wrote: »

Is that how it works in VOA :rotfl:

Those were the bad (not quite so) old days. Around the year 2000, procedures were tightened up, so that reasons should be given for reductions. Also some caseworkers were less conscientious than others.

blindman

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Those were the bad (not quite so) old days. Around the year 2000, procedures were tightened up, so that reasons should be given for reductions. Also some caseworkers were less conscientious than others.

And that's my issue here.


The sloppy refusal letter gives me no confidence he has done a good job.


Escpecially as I have documented proof of the house value at August 1991 and the other house is a D and is exactly the same size.:mad:

Oh_Daesu

Hi Guy's,

I start the Re-banding process this week, But wanted anyones advice on new build properties as virtually all properties on the estate are banded the same to note the exception of a few that are D.

The estate has been open for a few years now and we move in sixteen months back.

I'm of the thinking we should be band D not E.