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

Zebedeee

marcdale wrote: »

Hi,

Thanks very much for the reply.

Can you answer one last question for me before I go away and speak to them. Do you know how the value of council tax is actually made up? I understand there is a Band allocated. But is there any other criteria, like how many bedrooms, how many windows etc. that actually make a monetary value derived the from the original banding?

Thanks once again, great help.

As far as I am aware it is just the selling value of a house as at quarter 1 1991. All sorts of things will affect this, such as the square footage of the property, number of bedrooms, location etc. I am afraid I don't know any more about this. Perhaps jamsiebabie, Altarf or guppy can help?

The_magician_2

The band is based on the capital value of the dwelling as at 1/4/91
taking into account the circumstances at the valuation day, which is 1/4/03 in most cases.

The valuation is subject to various assumptions the main two are vacant possession and reasonable state of repair.

SO as your sale prices reflects size location [ views ] number of rooms etc all are considered and reflected

Hope this helps

jamesiebabie

marcdale wrote: »

Hi,

I've been through the steps provided to check council tax bandings etc. I have a few questions.

My house was built in 1990 and sold for the first time in 1991 for the value of £46,500. Which puts the house in band B. However the house valuation tool suggested puts my house value at £39,600 for that period. I purchased the house in 1995 for £37,500.

My question is, which value is most appropriate for council tax valuation?

I have a house close by which is similar in construction, but has one more bedroom and is listed as band b the same as mine. Is this normal?

Also, when I check my council for tax bands for my neighbours, I see that the house immediately next to mine (in fact it's the other half that makes mine a terrace house) is not even listed with a band. What's that all about? The house on the other side of is listed, and the house on the other side of my neighbor is listed, just not my neighbour.

My concern is that because of the view from the road, my house looks like one big house, when actually two houses back to back, just built to look like one house. Have they classified me as having one big house?

marcdale,

Zebedee is spot on with all that they say. I would just like to add that the VOA are not infalable and that they to can make mistakes. They may well have missed off your neighbour by pure chance. If you are that bothered then let the VOA know, but be warned the neighbours maybe after you.

jamesiebabie

DocWatson wrote: »

Hi,

I have done all my research and produced a very good arguement why my property was wrongly banded and why it should be in band E and not F and I have got and reply from the VOA in the form of a "NOTICE OF INVALID PROPOSAL" giving the reason that "you have been occupying the property for more than six months".

This seems ridiculous and I moved to the property in 1994 but how should I answer this?

Docwatson,

All it takes is a phone call to the VOA. Ask to speak to the council tax section. State that you would like a band review in line with the council tax charter [but make sure that you band will definately not go up, otherwise don't ask for the review]. State that you appreciate that you cannot appeal as you are time barred and hopefully the VOA should take it from there. Make sure you get a contact name and telephone number and ask for them to confirm everything in writing.

I hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please post them on this site.

J

guppy

jamesiebabie wrote: »

marcdale,

Zebedee is spot on with all that they say. I would just like to add that the VOA are not infalable and that they to can make mistakes. They may well have missed off your neighbour by pure chance. If you are that bothered then let the VOA know, but be warned the neighbours maybe after you.

Also it could be under a different postcode or name. Try looking under the street rather than postcode. Failing that, phone the VO or council and ask them to to look it up.

Zebedeee

skcollobcat10 wrote: »

has anybody got in touch with the land registry for details of all the times that your house has been bought and sold? I did this and it cost me £1.94, I got all the times the house was bought and sold back to 1935 and the prices it went for. This info was a great help to me being rebanded from F to E.

Hey thanks, I didn't know you could do that! I was told that those details were not available. Where did you get that information from?

BANNEDfromTV

OK here goes.
I followed the steps outlined on this website to calculate whether my property is in the correct band.

According to the calculator and the current banding system my property should be in a band c (currently in band D).
Now I have no way of finding out what my neighbours council tax band is as there is only 1 property similar to mine (although they extended it some time ago) and we're exactly on speaking terms with the owner (it's a whole parking over our drive issue... we'll not go there.

Anyway so without being able to see if they are in the same band does the calculator hold any weight? We have lived here since 2004.
Also if I ask for a reband is there a chance they could up my banding another notch or place me in my current market value band or does it not work like that?

I don't council tax payments as it is because I don't think we get value for money, so I would love to get some cash back on our banding if possible.
What is the likelihood that I would get re-branded and what is the chance my band would go higher?

Any advice you guys could give me would be beneficial thanks.

Boonbetty

skcollobcat10 wrote: »

has anybody got in touch with the land registry for details of all the times that your house has been bought and sold? I did this and it cost me £1.94, I got all the times the house was bought and sold back to 1935 and the prices it went for. This info was a great help to me being rebanded from F to E.

I didn't think you could do that either, that could you be really useful

Cookiepops

I followed the steps and found that my house is in the correct band for its value. Our houses were ex MOD properties so were only valued for council tax in 1999 when they were sold on. However, the house opposite me which is exactly the same is a band lower and another house in my street which has 1 more bedroom is a band lower too. Is this an argument to lower my band? I don't want to stitch up my neighbours!!!

Thanks

tracey001

Hi

I have just checked and i am one of 3 identical houses, 2 of us in band D, the other in band C. Have spoken with local council office for Great Yarmouth,which is in Ipswich. I was asked by a very unheplful lady why did i think i should be rebanded, explained the above and was then told well if you want to appeal you can but unlikely to get it , almost nobody does, then told me it would be 2 months before i hear anything.

Anybody else had the same problem?

Tracey