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

Carryonsaving

Dear All,

I wrote a message a little while ago re: wether or not any council tax rebate was subject to the 8% Statutory Interest. The response I recieved was from South Staffordshire County Council, who said that any rebate was not subject to interest, as there is no provision for this in the council tax legislation.

I hope this helps.

johnbhoy10

Guys-

Need a bit of help here. Got my response from Local Assessor (Scottish case)
today quoting 6 month rule blah blah! Howver,they go on to say i can appeal
and have 4 weeks to do so and "include reasons in support of your appeal".
The reasons given in my first letter were usual stuff-

1) 2 flats in my close which were identical were band A whilst i was on B
2) using nationwide calc and accurate selling prices 1991 estimation comes in at approx 20/21k. It needed to be 27k to achieve band B:eek: (not even close imo).

Thing is, the claim is for period 95-03 as i have moved but they don't mention this!

My main question is how can i add "reasons" to my original letter other than backing it up with prints of nethouseprices and nationwide data and also claiming ignorance of 6 month ruling until recently highlighted by media,Martin,etc. I would be grateful of any advice. Sorry if this is old ground
but this is a long thread and my head is swimming!!

Regards

tarinilie

poorperson wrote:

Doing things properly, as one tries does, I sent my details off to the VOA who acknowledged immediately that my dispute had been logged and I would hear from them within eight weeks.

Reading the posts on this thread and the success thread, I have noticed that some claimants have written/'phoned direct to their council. I was under the impression that the VOA amended the bands and the council paid out.

Can anyone shed any further light on this for please? If the council is going to be quick, perhaps I should go down that road!

yes your impression is correct - the council cannot lower your band

watcherman

As with other posters here, I have just had the "appeal not validly made" lived here more than six months letter.

Has anyone who has been in their property longer than 6mths actually received a refund due to being in an incorrect council tax banding, after doing a formal appeal via the VOA, not an "informal" phone call asking for a rebanding?

I am basing my appeal on the fact that my neighbours property, an end of terrace, where as mine is mid terrace, sold for £240K in Aug 2004. His is also better maintained, and has had more improvements than mine, new driveway, new kitchen and a new conservatory. Mine is as it was when it was built.

Using the Nationwide site, it works out that my neighbours house would have been worth £86658 in 1991, and mine would be worth less due to being terraced, maybe £81K, this would put us well within Band D and we are currently Band E.

Is it worth me appealing against the 6mth notice, is the above enough to offer them as a reason to consider my appeal?

Does anyone have any points of reference I should include in my letter to give them an obligation to consider the appeal?

TIA

nicola82_2

Hello don't know if im posting in the right bit, but my council (welwyn/hatfield) has said that my bandings are based on 1993 property prices is this right, and if so why is it different to everyone elses?
Do the same rules apply and if so, as i dont have an "official" reason, what do i have to send them to make an appeal??

stphnstevey

We've recently bought our property and it has been extended (Garage converted and 2nd storey extension, making a 3 bed into a 4 bed).

Looking on VOA website seems council tax banding went from C to D around the time of the extension. Everyone elses properties in the street are C or less, but the our 3 bed or less. Is it worth me appealing this, on the grounds 'I have bought this property and the property's value has been increased because it was extended by the previous occupier'?

Maisie

stphnstevey wrote:

We've recently bought our property and it has been extended (Garage converted and 2nd storey extension, making a 3 bed into a 4 bed).

Looking on VOA website seems council tax banding went from C to D around the time of the extension. Everyone elses properties in the street are C or less, but the our 3 bed or less. Is it worth me appealing this, on the grounds 'I have bought this property and the property's value has been increased because it was extended by the previous occupier'?

The banding is not changed (after extensions etc) until the house is sold.
So you as the new buyer would pay for the higher tax banding

OOps but that's how it works!

Maisie

nicola82 wrote:

Hello don't know if im posting in the right bit, but my council (welwyn/hatfield) has said that my bandings are based on 1993 property prices is this right, and if so why is it different to everyone elses?
Do the same rules apply and if so, as i dont have an "official" reason, what do i have to send them to make an appeal??

Nicola You should be dealing with VOA at St. Albans regarding council tax bandings. Not WH Council.

Bandings are based on 1991 prices not 1993. Council tax was implemented in 1993.

Have you checked all the other houses around you for lower bandings than yours and do you have any proof of 1991 house prices? ie Mortgage report or get archived 1991 house sale prices from the library.

You need something to back up your appeal. Look at other nearby house bandings first.

HTH Maisie

stphnstevey

Maisie wrote:

The banding is not changed (after extensions etc) until the house is sold.
So you as the new buyer would pay for the higher tax banding

OOps but that's how it works!

But the VOA website says it has been in force since 1995?

spindley

hello hope you can help with my questions I would like to know whos property valuation takes president, an estate agent or the mortgage lender. when i brought my property in 1995 the estate agent said it worth £90,000 but my mortgage lender valued it at £65,000 in its condition at the time and would only lend on their valuation.My council tax banding is E and so is my neigbours but all the rest of houses on my street is banded D or lower so if my house was valued at £65,000 in 1995 do you think i have a case to have my banding reaccess i am living in south london. thanks in advance if you can help..RS