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

lincroft1710

westie2128 said:

lincroft1710 said:

westie2128 said:

lincroft1710 said:

westie2128 said:

Well I went back and asked questions to their decision and this is the response today. How are you even supposed to understand their reasoning if you can’t speak to the right person 

Thank you for your email dated 30 December 2021 which we received on 30 December 2021. 

Unfortunately, you cannot appeal the decision as it was an informal review.

We will only undertake a further review where compelling new evidence is brought to our attention to suggest the band, or the earlier decision, is wrong.

You can find more information about council tax at: www.gov.uk/challenge-council-tax-band

Yours sincerely

  

Customer Service Centre

As an absolute last resort you could ask your MP for their help. Just set out the facts and avoid emotion or criticism other than "my evidence leads me to believe the VOA have not reached the correct decision".


However the VOA are well used to dealing with MPs' letters and it is not difficult to reply to them and dismiss a CT payer's argument. MPs rarely follow anything up when the VOA say no. But it is worth a try

Would be my absolute last resort as our MP is only ever helpful if a camera is pointed on him! 

Sorry to keep asking you so many questions, but who should I address a complaint to, via email preferably?  Not a complaint about the decision, about their total lack of actually replying to any question I’ve asked. 

And do you know what info about neighbouring properties they are allowed to give you if I put in a Freedom of Information request?  I know they can’t disclose sale prices, but do I have a right to know the data they hold on neighbouring properties size and modernisation etc, or not?

I am sure about FOI, there were definitely some exemptions, but cannot remember what they were and they could have changed anyway. I certainly used to give out full details (excluding sale prices) of properties well before the FOI came into being. I would always preface it with "My records show", which actually meant that the info may or may not be currently correct. 

Thank you. Sorry been a hectic few days! 

I have rang them this morning and honestly, can’t believe what hard work it is. 

Spent half an hour on hold to be told they can’t give me any information over the phone and wouldn’t discuss any neighbouring properties with me. 

I can’t speak to the caseworker either, because they are working from home so have no option to transfer calls. 

They did finally agree to email the caseworker and ask if they wouldn’t mind calling me or responding to my email directly …..and to call back after 2 weeks if I haven’t heard anything. 

Talk about banging your head on a brick wall   

I don't know what to say!


Despite what you said about your MP, I think it's time to get him involved

westie2128

lincroft1710 said:

westie2128 said:

lincroft1710 said:

westie2128 said:

lincroft1710 said:

westie2128 said:

Well I went back and asked questions to their decision and this is the response today. How are you even supposed to understand their reasoning if you can’t speak to the right person 

Thank you for your email dated 30 December 2021 which we received on 30 December 2021. 

Unfortunately, you cannot appeal the decision as it was an informal review.

We will only undertake a further review where compelling new evidence is brought to our attention to suggest the band, or the earlier decision, is wrong.

You can find more information about council tax at: www.gov.uk/challenge-council-tax-band

Yours sincerely

  

Customer Service Centre

As an absolute last resort you could ask your MP for their help. Just set out the facts and avoid emotion or criticism other than "my evidence leads me to believe the VOA have not reached the correct decision".


However the VOA are well used to dealing with MPs' letters and it is not difficult to reply to them and dismiss a CT payer's argument. MPs rarely follow anything up when the VOA say no. But it is worth a try

Would be my absolute last resort as our MP is only ever helpful if a camera is pointed on him! 

Sorry to keep asking you so many questions, but who should I address a complaint to, via email preferably?  Not a complaint about the decision, about their total lack of actually replying to any question I’ve asked. 

And do you know what info about neighbouring properties they are allowed to give you if I put in a Freedom of Information request?  I know they can’t disclose sale prices, but do I have a right to know the data they hold on neighbouring properties size and modernisation etc, or not?

I am sure about FOI, there were definitely some exemptions, but cannot remember what they were and they could have changed anyway. I certainly used to give out full details (excluding sale prices) of properties well before the FOI came into being. I would always preface it with "My records show", which actually meant that the info may or may not be currently correct. 

Thank you. Sorry been a hectic few days! 

I have rang them this morning and honestly, can’t believe what hard work it is. 

Spent half an hour on hold to be told they can’t give me any information over the phone and wouldn’t discuss any neighbouring properties with me. 

I can’t speak to the caseworker either, because they are working from home so have no option to transfer calls. 

They did finally agree to email the caseworker and ask if they wouldn’t mind calling me or responding to my email directly …..and to call back after 2 weeks if I haven’t heard anything. 

Talk about banging your head on a brick wall   

I don't know what to say!


Despite what you said about your MP, I think it's time to get him involved

I’m quite lost for words myself tbh. 

The attitude I’m getting is “we didn’t bother to look at your case properly as we were already a week late in our deadline, so we’ve just said no and won’t speak to you or answer your emails because we can’t justify it either” 

the lady on the phone today repeatedly told me to go to tribunal and each time I told her I was outside the 6 months of appeal. She didn’t seem to know what I was on about!

im just waiting to get my laptop back (it’s been in for a repair) and I’m going to submit a complaint and ask for someone more senior to do a second review. 

westie2128

Complaint submitted although they aren’t even committing to a response within 4 weeks 🙄 their complaints team must be busy!

Thank you for your email to the Valuation Office Agency’s Complaints Investigation Team. Please accept this email as a formal acknowledgement of receipt.

In relation to formal complaints, we will deal with these as soon as possible, however we may not be able to provide a reply within the 20 workings days we would usually aim for.

gwapoman

Bit of a tricky dilemma this one so hopefully some advice from the membership here...

I have lived in a flat above a shop for the last 28 years i have always been band B all the neighbouring shops have flats of a similar size above and they are all band A my annual bill  from my local council never states flat just the building number despite my driving licence and most of my personal correspondence using flat and the building number as the address.

Do you think i have reasonable grounds to challenge my banding ?

westie2128

gwapoman said:

Bit of a tricky dilemma this one so hopefully some advice from the membership here...

I have lived in a flat above a shop for the last 28 years i have always been band B all the neighbouring shops have flats of a similar size above and they are all band A my annual bill  from my local council never states flat just the building number despite my driving licence and most of my personal correspondence using flat and the building number as the address.

Do you think i have reasonable grounds to challenge my banding ?

With regards to your bill, have you checked on VOA website to see if your address is listed as a flat? As might just be an admin error missing the flat number off your council tax bill 

lincroft1710

gwapoman said:

Bit of a tricky dilemma this one so hopefully some advice from the membership here...

I have lived in a flat above a shop for the last 28 years i have always been band B all the neighbouring shops have flats of a similar size above and they are all band A my annual bill  from my local council never states flat just the building number despite my driving licence and most of my personal correspondence using flat and the building number as the address.

Do you think i have reasonable grounds to challenge my banding ?

If the number without the word "flat" suitably identifies your home there is no need for the word "flat". 


You could ask the VOA for a band review because of the difference in banding, the worst (but least likely) outcome would be all the other flats are increased to Band B.

gwapoman

westie2128 said:

gwapoman said:

Bit of a tricky dilemma this one so hopefully some advice from the membership here...

I have lived in a flat above a shop for the last 28 years i have always been band B all the neighbouring shops have flats of a similar size above and they are all band A my annual bill  from my local council never states flat just the building number despite my driving licence and most of my personal correspondence using flat and the building number as the address.

Do you think i have reasonable grounds to challenge my banding ?

With regards to your bill, have you checked on VOA website to see if your address is listed as a flat? As might just be an admin error missing the flat number off your council tax bill 

Thank you for your reply ....

VOA only has one address listed BUT land register has a flat listed and a shop !

westie2128

westie2128 said:

Complaint submitted although they aren’t even committing to a response within 4 weeks 🙄 their complaints team must be busy!

Thank you for your email to the Valuation Office Agency’s Complaints Investigation Team. Please accept this email as a formal acknowledgement of receipt.

In relation to formal complaints, we will deal with these as soon as possible, however we may not be able to provide a reply within the 20 workings days we would usually aim for.

Oh look, nearly 3 weeks after I sent my complaint, the caseworker emails me! He asked for information relating to the modernisation work we have done since we lived here which I’ve replied back to him. 

He’s now said the complaints investigation team will respond separately but in the meantime he will send the information I’ve suppled to the “technical lead” @lincroft1710 - any idea what they do? 

And signed off by saying they’ll now be investigating to see if the neighbours bands need increasing. 

lincroft1710

westie2128 said:

westie2128 said:

Complaint submitted although they aren’t even committing to a response within 4 weeks 🙄 their complaints team must be busy!

Thank you for your email to the Valuation Office Agency’s Complaints Investigation Team. Please accept this email as a formal acknowledgement of receipt.

In relation to formal complaints, we will deal with these as soon as possible, however we may not be able to provide a reply within the 20 workings days we would usually aim for.

Oh look, nearly 3 weeks after I sent my complaint, the caseworker emails me! He asked for information relating to the modernisation work we have done since we lived here which I’ve replied back to him. 

He’s now said the complaints investigation team will respond separately but in the meantime he will send the information I’ve suppled to the “technical lead” @lincroft1710 - any idea what they do? 

And signed off by saying they’ll now be investigating to see if the neighbours bands need increasing. 

Sorry but "technical lead" is a term new to me.

Penguinloz

westie2128 said:

westie2128 said:

Complaint submitted although they aren’t even committing to a response within 4 weeks 🙄 their complaints team must be busy!

Thank you for your email to the Valuation Office Agency’s Complaints Investigation Team. Please accept this email as a formal acknowledgement of receipt.

In relation to formal complaints, we will deal with these as soon as possible, however we may not be able to provide a reply within the 20 workings days we would usually aim for.

Oh look, nearly 3 weeks after I sent my complaint, the caseworker emails me! He asked for information relating to the modernisation work we have done since we lived here which I’ve replied back to him. 

He’s now said the complaints investigation team will respond separately but in the meantime he will send the information I’ve suppled to the “technical lead” @lincroft1710 - any idea what they do? 

And signed off by saying they’ll now be investigating to see if the neighbours bands need increasing. 

A technical lead is a more senior member of staff who cases are referred to if there is a technicality that needs clarifying and they give caseworkers technical advice.