Council Tax Problems

Doozergirl

I never understand why people ask what council tax band the house is in when we're selling. Fair enough, it's a standard question that everyone asks but they nod wisely when you give the answer and don't really have a clue how much 'Band D' is each year when the house is in a different area or banding to their current home (which it's likely to be, considering people's motivations for moving).

When paying hundreds of thousands for a house, I'm generally more concerned with the size of the mortgage and getting value for money on the price of the house than fretting about maybe £200 a year extra on council tax. Anybody vendors out there really found people trying to knock down the price of a house based on it's council tax banding?

OP, sounds like a pretty poor excuse from your potential buyers IMO. Appeal only because you're potentially being overcharged and to get yourself a refund, not to placate buyers; I'd be seriously questioning exactly how serious your buyers are about the transaction with problems this trivial.

Lil_Dee_2

Dizzyqueen, please go and have a good look around at the VOA site, and you will find that the threat they referred to, of your Banding being increased, is nonsense. It doesn't matter what your house is worth now, it's what it was worth in April 1991. The following is taken directly from the VOA website :

The basis of valuation for a dwelling which is not used for any business purpose is the amount which, subject to certain assumptions, it would have sold for on the 'open market' by a 'willing vendor' on 1 April 1991.

Please don't let them bully you on this, stand your ground. It sounds very much like they've made an administration error - don't let it lie. Even if these potential buyers don't go ahead, remember, you'll be due a refund from the last two years if they confirm you've been over-paying.

Good Luck !

silvercar

When I sold a house in 1993, one prospective buyer was concerned that the house should be in the higher band to prove that it was worth the asking price!

moonrakerz

I discovered that my Banding was one higher than the identical house next door.
I wrote to my local VOA office who came back and said that I should have appealed within 6 months of the valuation (in 1991 !). However, they told me how to appeal, which I did; they rejected my appeal but told me how to appeal against that, etc, etc. Eventually, they admitted that there had probably had been a "clerical error" and re-banded my house down one band.

Two lessons:
1. The VOA were very helpful - but you had to follow the "system".
2. Use the 'phone for advice, but always make your formal points in writing.

I got a refund from my Council, back-dated to the start of Council Tax (over £2500). However, they were a bit cheeky - when they sent the refund they deducted the whole of the current year's Council Tax from it, in advance (I have always paid monthly). I said I wanted the whole refund - and they then paid up !

dizzzyqueen

It was a clerical error and I should never have paid band D.
I'm getting a refund for the 2 years I have lived here, the lady on the phone was really helpful and I told her I had got all my advice from this site and she said she uses it lots too.
Thanks so much for your advice!
Fingers crossed my survey goes okay on Friday.
Thanks again

Wendy

A_Nice_Englishman

dizzzyqueen wrote:

It was a clerical error and I should never have paid band D.
I'm getting a refund for the 2 years I have lived here, the lady on the phone was really helpful and I told her I had got all my advice from this site and she said she uses it lots too.
Thanks so much for your advice!
Fingers crossed my survey goes okay on Friday.
Thanks again

Wendy

Excellent! Another success for moneysavingexpert.com