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

Altarf

only1king wrote:

I have discovered that 4 similiar houses in our close are in a lower band than the rest of us. These houses are owned by the council through housing associations so how is it possible that they can charge a lower rate for their own properties whilst putting us in the next band up ??

If they were identical then either yours or the housing association houses are in the wrong band, as they should be valued on the same basis. It doesn't mean that yours should be lowered, but it may mean that they should be raised.

However you say they are similar. It is entirely possible that there is enough difference between the properties so that they are just below the top of their band and yours is just over the top of yours.

square-eyes

I submitted my Council Tax Valuation to Reigate & Banstead B.C. and received a rejection in record time. This is the fastest the council have ever moved. :-(
However, I am not giving up. I printed out the band list for my street from the Valuations Office web site. A lot of the valuations seem strange. Like two connected semis in different bands. Properties with very large gardens which the valuation seems to have overlooked.
Nil Desperandum. I'll keep you posted.

square-eyes

square-eyes wrote:

I submitted my Council Tax Valuation to Reigate & Banstead B.C. and received a rejection in record time. This is the fastest the council have ever moved. :-(
However, I am not giving up. I printed out the band list for my street from the Valuations Office web site. A lot of the valuations seem strange. Like two connected semis in different bands. Properties with very large gardens which the valuation seems to have overlooked.
Nil Desperandum. I'll keep you posted.

My valuation arrived with Two different letters on headed letter paper.
One was headed Council Tax: Review of Banding. This informed me of the rejection and asked me to fill-in a form with additional information about my property so the officer could review my case.
The other letter was headed Council Tax: Notice of Invalid Proposal. This gave the rejection reason as "Out of Time" and gave me 4 weeks to appeal in writing.

Which letter should I take notice of? If I rely on the first letter as offering hope, is the time limit on the second letter running out?
Help!

bye_bye_band_G

Square eyes, see my post 660. They have rejected your formal appeal as you've lived over 6 months in your property (but offered you 4 weeks to appeal against that fact - undeniable, presumably - or find another reason from their list why you should be allowed to make a formal appeal).

They are offering you instead a review, with no right of appeal or referral to a tribunal if they decide against you.

If you can't find a reason they'll accept to continue with the formal appeal, such as physical changes in the area, your best bet is to go with the review or re-assessment. Make sure you send them all your evidence and present as convincing a case as possible.

Yes, if you follow the review option, your time limit of 4 weeks on the appeal will probably run out before they do your review.

square-eyes

bye_bye_band_G wrote:

Square eyes, see my post 660. They have rejected your formal appeal as you've lived over 6 months in your property (but offered you 4 weeks to appeal against that fact - undeniable, presumably - or find another reason from their list why you should be allowed to make a formal appeal).

They are offering you instead a review, with no right of appeal or referral to a tribunal if they decide against you.

If you can't find a reason they'll accept to continue with the formal appeal, such as physical changes in the area, your best bet is to go with the review or re-assessment. Make sure you send them all your evidence and present as convincing a case as possible.

Yes, if you follow the review option, your time limit of 4 weeks on the appeal will probably run out before they do your review.

Thanks for your advice. I've filled-in my form and enclosed some additional information. The Environment Agency has reclassified my road as in an increased flood risk area. Would this constitute a physical change reason to make a formal appeal?
I've also found some inconsistent banding in my road including similar properties in a lower band.
Should I phone the case officer and ask for his advice on which course to pursue?

bye_bye_band_G

Square eyes, if you feel the increased flood risk has devalued your property, I'd be tempted to continue with the formal appeal on physical changes grounds. Not an expert opinion at all, and the VOA may well say in their opinion this is still an invalid proposal. BUT they have to offer you an 'invalidity appeal' tribunal to decide. You may know in your heart of hearts that you'd probably lose at tribunal, but the VOA have to discuss it with you first, and may well be willing to discuss the whole banding issue with you a couple of days before the tribunal. I get the impression that they like to settle before a tribunal if possible.

I think you could probably do this while also continuing with the review, in which case I'd concentrate on inconsistent banding and 1991 sales prices of similar properties, not the flood risk. I see the flood risk as a means to an end ie a tribunal date.
But it wouldn't hurt to check you can do both options by ringing them and I firmly believe that as they are human (yes really!), they often respond positively to polite and friendly communication from the public and it may stand you in good stead when decisions are being made.

jollyanna

When they send the "property details" form with the response to your query, it makes me think that they don't have any data whatsoever on your property and are relying on us, the clients, to provide the information. They should be paying us to submit this data.

Lindsae

I was fascinated by the discrepancies in the council tax bands between Scotland and the rest of the country. Can anyone tell me why I am Band G in Scotland and would be Band F in England? Surely it must be against my Human Rights to discriminate against me because of where I live? 2007 charge will be £2486.42. I call that a rip off.
Lindsae

jago25_98

The article is great but should be revised with the feedback from this thread. A clearer warning that it could lead to an increase in payments too.

What I don't understand is how inflation and house price increases are taken into account... or not.

I did a search on a relatives house and it was £200,000 more than it's band!

omg_3

Hi, I m looking for advice please. I bought my house in the North West for £66,000 in October 1988. I am in Band E. The Council banding guides are:

C £52,001 - £68,000
D £68,001 - £88,000
E £88,000-£120,000

I do not think house prices moved up between October 1988 and March 1991 Do you think I have a case for being in band C or D?, if so, would I need any extra evidence to validate a claim?

Also, I thought I was in Band D. Could the Council havs altered my Banding?