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

Maisie

ZippyDoo_Da wrote:

Thanks Maisie you're a star. After weeks of frustration I got in thanks to your tip and you'll never guess what folks.......The whole street is in the same band. :rotfl: Oh well it was worth checking

Zippy. Happy to have helped.

Sorry you're not in line for a rebate!

bye_bye_band_G

Maisie! I can't believe that after starting all this off you have actually been unsuccessful! I thought your story must be archived somewhere in the zillion pages and you would have a whopping rebate in your bank account.

Just from my experience, I think its important to keep actually verbally talking to the VOA. Have you spoken to them on the phone and gone through your library evidence in detail? I think my next move would be to phone them up and say you're still not happy and make sure you present every bit of evidence you have in your phone call. Be nice! (but I'm sure from what I've seen already you're a very nice person!)

OK then if that doesn't work I'd be very tempted to play a little dirty. I'd send in an official appeal, rather than the unofficial assessment you've had so far. You could think of some spurious physical changes to the area to form the basis of your appeal, no matter that they're not very convincing, but it sets the ball rolling. They tell you in their opinion your appeal is invalid but you insist you will take it to a tribunal. And stick to your guns that you will go. In the end you will get a tribunal date (although it's only a tribunal to determine if you have made a valid proposal, not to determine the banding). BUT, the point is, the tribunal expects the VOA to talk to you beforehand, and its very likely they will phone you a couple of days beforehand and be very willing to listen to your point of view, on the banding. They would prefer to settle before a tribunal hearing if they can.

That bit seems a bit sneaky, but Maisie of all people you deserve your rebanding! No doubt you'll let us know what you decide to do next. Good luck.

Maisie

bye_bye_band_G wrote:

Maisie! I can't believe that after starting all this off you have actually been unsuccessful! I thought your story must be archived somewhere in the zillion pages and you would have a whopping rebate in your bank account.

Just from my experience, I think its important to keep actually verbally talking to the VOA. Have you spoken to them on the phone and gone through your library evidence in detail? I think my next move would be to phone them up and say you're still not happy and make sure you present every bit of evidence you have in your phone call. Be nice! (but I'm sure from what I've seen already you're a very nice person!)

OK then if that doesn't work I'd be very tempted to play a little dirty. I'd send in an official appeal, rather than the unofficial assessment you've had so far. You could think of some spurious physical changes to the area to form the basis of your appeal, no matter that they're not very convincing, but it sets the ball rolling. They tell you in their opinion your appeal is invalid but you insist you will take it to a tribunal. And stick to your guns that you will go. In the end you will get a tribunal date (although it's only a tribunal to determine if you have made a valid proposal, not to determine the banding). BUT, the point is, the tribunal expects the VOA to talk to you beforehand, and its very likely they will phone you a couple of days beforehand and be very willing to listen to your point of view, on the banding. They would prefer to settle before a tribunal hearing if they can.

That bit seems a bit sneaky, but Maisie of all people you deserve your rebanding! No doubt you'll let us know what you decide to do next. Good luck.

ByebyebandG. Thanks for your kind words. Nope I haven't been successful and I'm pretty annoyed with VOA. Especially as at least two neighbouring identical houses are on a lower band.
Many much bigger houses in next road are on same band as us and when I look they have been rebanded lower at various times.

It's been postal communication so far so I'll try talking to them and see if that helps. Will have to think of some changes to area that I can add weight with.
It's fairly rural here so can't think of much at moment.

I'll read your post again tomorrow and find some inspiration from it.
Thanks again bbbg. Maisie.

bye_bye_band_G

Maisie, at the re-assessment stage (where you're at now), don't bring in physical changes that are not terribly convincing, it could actually weaken your case, just concentrate on getting them to comment on your newspaper evidence.

The point of the physical changes thing is that if you have to eventually go back to the beginning and launch an official appeal (which you can do from the VOA website by clicking on your address then click on 'make an appeal'), the VOA can't just reject you for being in your address over 6 months. They probably won't agree with your physical changes, but they have to offer you the option of going to tribunal to discuss them. And a tribunal date is what you're after.

Has anyone else any advice for Maisie? Many of us would not have the rebates we now have if she hadn't pointed us in the right direction a while ago.

patchwork_cat

Our house was built in 2002 and within 6 months 6 of our neighbours had put in and been granted rebanding.
Yes stupidly we didn't and weren't aware - thank you neighbours for letting me know! Not in MSE style.
I have spoken to Valuation office and they say that my request is with a referencer, but if it is turned down I have no right of appeal despite the fact that they should have done a consequential reevaluation in 2003 as a result of my neighbours re - banding.
I feel that they have been doubly negligent in not revaluing ours 4 years ago. What does everyone think?

Maisie

bye_bye_band_G wrote:

Maisie, at the re-assessment stage (where you're at now), don't bring in physical changes that are not terribly convincing, it could actually weaken your case, just concentrate on getting them to comment on your newspaper evidence.

The point of the physical changes thing is that if you have to eventually go back to the beginning and launch an official appeal (which you can do from the VOA website by clicking on your address then click on 'make an appeal'), the VOA can't just reject you for being in your address over 6 months. They probably won't agree with your physical changes, but they have to offer you the option of going to tribunal to discuss them. And a tribunal date is what you're after.

Has anyone else any advice for Maisie? Many of us would not have the rebates we now have if she hadn't pointed us in the right direction a while ago.

Thanks bbbg. I'll start again at the library with their archived house sales.
I just copied house sale prices down before and didn't print any evidence. Mainly as it was hardly readable.

Thanks for your help.

Maisie

Maryo_3

Dave 747 said: "We had our house band reduced and the Listings Officer has a duty to ensure that the valuation list is correct so he had to alter my neighbours' as well". However, the Listings Officer for my area has replied to my "proposal to challenge the valuation band" on my house saying that "Since 1 Dec 1993, the opportunity to challenge the valuation band validly has been strictly limited by law". She said we should have challenged it before 30 November 1993 and accordingly has decided that my current challenge is legally invalid because it is out of time. We are in band F (a 3 bedroomed semi with shared drive!) and I think we should be band E according to figures which come out using the Nationwide House Price Calculator, based on our purchase price in June 1982. All my neighbours are in Band F too, although 2 of the 10 houses had large extensions on them before April 1991 - so maybe they should be F but I'm sure the rest of us should be E. Is it worth my appealing - has anyone else appealed after being told they are legally out of time? If so, any tips on wording?

Zebedeee

Maisie wrote:

Thanks bbbg. I'll start again at the library with their archived house sales.
I just copied house sale prices down before and didn't print any evidence. Mainly as it was hardly readable.

Thanks for your help.

Maisie

Hi Maisie

I'm in exactly the same situation as you. The problem is getting them to actually take your proposal seriously. They just kept saying my appeal was invalid as I was outside the 6 months. I kept writing to them and eventually got a tribunal, but it was only to appeal on the basis of being within 6 months, which we are not, so we had to cancel that.

But it turns out that if you can find a tribunal which went in favour of someone who is in a simillar property to yours, simillar location, etc. which took place within the last 6 months you can put forward a new proposal on that basis! Complicated I know. This is what we have done and now they are having to look at it all again. Even if they still refuse to reband we might at least get a rebanding tribunal. I think its a case of not giving up before the fat lady sings!

Hope that helps!

Maisie

Zebedeee wrote:

Hi Maisie

I'm in exactly the same situation as you. The problem is getting them to actually take your proposal seriously. They just kept saying my appeal was invalid as I was outside the 6 months. I kept writing to them and eventually got a tribunal, but it was only to appeal on the basis of being within 6 months, which we are not, so we had to cancel that.

But it turns out that if you can find a tribunal which went in favour of someone who is in a simillar property to yours, simillar location, etc. which took place within the last 6 months you can put forward a new proposal on that basis! Complicated I know. This is what we have done and now they are having to look at it all again. Even if they still refuse to reband we might at least get a rebanding tribunal. I think its a case of not giving up before the fat lady sings!

Hope that helps!

Hi Zebedee

At no time have voa brought the 6 month rule into the argument in our case. they haven't even mentioned it. ( We are outside of the 6 months by a long way). They say 'they have looked at the sales evidence for 1991 in this area and it indicates that the current band D is correct. Therefore no alteration will be made to the current band' Goes on to say that they will not disclose details of the sales as it is of confidentail nature. (I was wondering about the Freedom of Information act here?).

Regarding the identical houses that are band C. Their band was lowered in 1993. I have looked at most other houses in this area and most changes were done in 1993. None recently.

Other posts have mentioned that the voa have to keep 'a fair and consistent review of banding'. which they are not doing in our case as two identical houses and one slightly different are band C from 1993.(We're D) I wondered about bringing that into the case?.
Voa say they are investigating the C bandings.

Any other ideas you (or anyone else) might have would be most welcome.

Many thanks Maisie

jinkssick

Hi I worked everything out and I am correctly in BAND C. Its a complex of flats and I worked out that C is correct but there is something weird, my next door neighbour, is on BAND B, but the rest of the building are on the BAND C? Were talking around 30 other apartments? Can I claim?

Is this cause for a reduction?

Please help. thanks