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

praven

My rebanding evidence is based on sales of my house in 1984 (when it was new so I have the sale price from the deeds), 2001 and 2003. I then extrapolated the house price to Q2/1991 using the Nationwide HPI calculator, which puts me well within the next lower band based on all three of those sales. The Halifax HPI calculator puts the values higher with one of the three being in the lower band. My valuation office say that they prefer the Halifax calculator (funny that). They also say that they like to work from house sales as close as possible to Q2/1991.

Two questions I'm hoping someone can help with:
How can I access the sale prices data pre-2000?
Any thoughts on which house price index is best for the SW?

praven

spindley wrote:

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

Is the mortgage lenders valuation the rebuild cost? It's open market values that count so if you paid £90,000 that is the value of the house in 1995.

Maisie

bye_bye_band_G wrote:

Anyone who is further down the line and got their rebate.
Any news on requests for interest due back on 14 years of overpayment?
I wrote to the council saying I had given them an interest-free loan for all these years and would like to be reimbursed and this was their reply -

'I regret to inform you that I am unable to consider requests for interest. The Council has continued to issue accurate bills based on the information provided at each stage by the Valuation Officer.'

Any comments on this, anyone? I think some of you were more successful than this.

bbbG. Seems the Council are putting the onus on VOA for the interest.
Quote the Council's statement to the VOA and see what they say.

I think there's someone on the Success thread saying they got interest.
Doesn't seem to be a very consistent policy as to whether they pay it or not.. Just like rebanding!

I haven't given up on my claim yet. I found some more evidence to support it and waiting a reply!

maisie

Maisie

stphnstevey wrote:

Yes, the extension was done in 1985

I think you mean 1995 here but if yours is the only house with the big extension seems your banding is correct. ie higher than the smaller houses.

Unless the VOA are trying to put up the banding again? Are they?

Maisie

bye_bye_band_G wrote:

Anyone who is further down the line and got their rebate.
Any news on requests for interest due back on 14 years of overpayment?
I wrote to the council saying I had given them an interest-free loan for all these years and would like to be reimbursed and this was their reply -

'I regret to inform you that I am unable to consider requests for interest. The Council has continued to issue accurate bills based on the information provided at each stage by the Valuation Officer.'

Any comments on this, anyone? I think some of you were more successful than this.

Contact your local MP and see what he has to say.

lostnfound

I asked the valuation board about our C/tax banding in November,got reply in January that they were looking in to it,first week in February i phoned the valuation board to find out what has happened,told by nice gentleman rebanding has been approved and i would get a letter from them in due course.Has anyone any idea how long it takes to send out the letter and notify the council so we can get the money back we are owed.Thanks in advance.

Maisie

lostnfound wrote:

I asked the valuation board about our C/tax banding in November,got reply in January that they were looking in to it,first week in February i phoned the valuation board to find out what has happened,told by nice gentleman rebanding has been approved and i would get a letter from them in due course.Has anyone any idea how long it takes to send out the letter and notify the council so we can get the money back we are owed.Thanks in advance.

Look on the voa site to see if they have changed your band.
You'll know then that things are moving. Voa have probably passed it on to the council who are taking their time.

Contact the council if you haven't heard soon.

lostnfound

Ive just checked the site and my banding hasnt dropped from C to B yet so looks like im going to wait a while even though i started this whole thing back in november.

Maisie

lostnfound wrote:

Ive just checked the site and my banding hasnt dropped from C to B yet so looks like im going to wait a while even though i started this whole thing back in november.

Just keep checking the voa site. Don't suppose they are going to hurry to give you money!

picolina

i am thinking of asking for a reband on my council tax but can anyone tell me if they have gone up a band - there are a few properties in my street that have gone from a D to a C we are in a D - but we have an extension on the back and i dont want to go up - any suggestions
thanks