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

lesleyoxley

Thanks Zebedeee,

I have already done some checking around. I live in the 3 storey townhouse type property which only started to go up around this area less than 10 years ago. But they are tax banded pretty much the same as any general small 3 bedroomed house. The houses on my street are either 3 bed town houses, 3 bed semis. 2 bed terrace, or 4 bed detached. The 4 bed detached are band D. The 2 beds B.
I live in an area in which you could still buy a newly built 2/3 bedroomed house for £45,000 in 1995/6 and the property prices even now are lower than in many areas of the country.

Zebedeee

ellieblack wrote: »

i dont know wot to do we are in a row of cottages 2 of wich are in band A but me and somebody els in in B,although we do ha an extra room to everbody else. o tried to do the 2 steps but cant get the right info.please help.jen

The extra room could easily make all the difference. Remember, Council Tax is not a sliding scale. If the extra room makes the value of your cottage just enough to push you into the next band then that would be correct. I don't know what else to suggest other than what you have already been told. You need to find out the value of houses like yours in Q1 1991. Go to the library and ask the VOA how they came to their decision. Its only by making these tentative moves that you begin to bulid up a picture of how it all works and whether to procede with your request for a rebanding.

mickb000

Good day to everyone. After reading the article i decided to check my band. We have 30 houses in our square some 2 bedroom & some 3 bedroom all are the same band. We are only a two bedroom. Can anyone please tell me if i should be paying the same as the bigger houses.
Many Thanks
Mickb

jetbags

Hi
I am a little confused over this subject.
I have checked the valuations using the links on the web site and it comes up that the property valuation in 1991 being under £40,000. So this indicates a band A. All but a few houses in my street are currently on band C.

Need advice HELP !!!

tonykempster

Hi

I too have had my band reduced to band E form band F backdated to April 1996. My calculation is that I am due a £2,112 refund. However, if you add compound interest at bank rate, this becomes £2,717.

My question is can I get the interest on the outstanding amount as well. I have already asked the question of my local authority but not yet had a reply. Has anyone else managed to negotiate interest on top of the refund?

My 2nd question is to do with how far back the refunds go. Looking through the various posts on this board, they seem to vary from 1993 to 2001. Does anyone know how the VOA decide how far to backdate a banding change?

tightasafish

Big thanks to Martin and the team - today received notification that we have been overpaying for 14 years and will get a £1323 refund! RESULT! However I would not be living up to my name if I did not ask - surely the refunds should be subject to the addition of interest? The £ I paid them 14 years ago was worth a lot more than the £ they are giving me back today. I have a detailed breakdown of the refund and it makes no allowance for inflation. Does anyone have any idea of the council's legal obligations in this area?

Many thanks (some people are never happy)

jamesiebabie

tonykempster wrote: »

Hi

I too have had my band reduced to band E form band F backdated to April 1996. My calculation is that I am due a £2,112 refund. However, if you add compound interest at bank rate, this becomes £2,717.

My question is can I get the interest on the outstanding amount as well. I have already asked the question of my local authority but not yet had a reply. Has anyone else managed to negotiate interest on top of the refund?

My 2nd question is to do with how far back the refunds go. Looking through the various posts on this board, they seem to vary from 1993 to 2001. Does anyone know how the VOA decide how far to backdate a banding change?

Tonykempster,

Unfortunately the council do not have to pay any interest to you, HOWEVER, as I have pointed out several times on this forum you can appraoch the VOA for compensation as it was they who got it wrong and not the council. This is done by phoning the VOA and asking to speak to the Group Customer Service Manager [GCSM]. The named GCSM can be located on the VOA website and look at the top right of the home page where it says 'Where to find us'. Just locate the relevant offoce for you and their name will appear.

Once you have made contact with the GCSM state that you are looking for compensation due to their error in the wrong banding and subsequently that you are now out of pocket. They will have to give serious consideration to this. I have helped a few people through this forum to receive their compensation, but all it takes is a call. Make sure that you get the GCSM to write to you to acknowledge your call and make sure that they keep in touch with you. If all else fails you can also write to your MP and complain why the VOA haven't got it right after 14 years. The VOA always run around to get an answer back if a MP is being invited to help.;) Do not give up, I'm sure that the VOA will pay up in time.

jamesiebabie

tightasafish wrote: »

Big thanks to Martin and the team - today received notification that we have been overpaying for 14 years and will get a £1323 refund! RESULT! However I would not be living up to my name if I did not ask - surely the refunds should be subject to the addition of interest? The £ I paid them 14 years ago was worth a lot more than the £ they are giving me back today. I have a detailed breakdown of the refund and it makes no allowance for inflation. Does anyone have any idea of the council's legal obligations in this area?

Many thanks (some people are never happy)

tightasafish,

See some of my previous posts including the one above. It is the VOA at fault and not the council, so go after the VOA. They have a compensation fund set aside for circumastances like these.

If they do not pay up then maybe we should get Martin to do a follow up on how to claim compensation form the VOA.

Does this warrant another thread? What does everyone think? This could also be a question asked under the 'Freedom of Information Act' - how much money did the VOA pay out in compensation for incorrect banding?

jamesiebabie

Everyone,

Can I urge you to make use of the 'Freedom of Information Act'. You CAN ask for all those details from the VOA that are relevant to your case. If you want a list of all the details of all those houses on your street with age, areas, number of rooms, etc. Then ask, they have to give it to you. they can print it out very simply from their register. The only thing they can't give you are the sale prices as these are 'personal details' but you can get the info from the land registry. It all takes time and a bit of leg work, but you will all get there in the end.

Keep sharing your experiences as this will help.

pingua

We have just moved house (they were quick on the ball) and have had a very nice letter to tell us as our house had an extension a while back they would like to re-value it to review the banding. They are wanting approx external dimensions and the planning or building control reference.

So does it all go on the size of the property??? Or the value or it???

We did know this would happen but absolutely gutted.........

Oh just clicked the link above, it goes on the value it would have been in 1991 - how on earth can they say what it would have been?????
Although it has had the extension, it is still only in todays prices about 9 grand more than those without extensions (as it has left a tiny garden) so how does that get worked out??