Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

Heres_the_deal

I'm considering asking for a re-valuation. However, if it all goes pear shaped, can the residents in the street find out who started the process? The last thing I want is being responsible for someone else's CT increasing whilst mine goes down. Its a real moral dilemma.

hss

Yes I agree, although from where I live Band D is the norm so those lucky to have extended are saving money. There are no Band C's, & unless councils took more notice on re-banding to make it more fairer, I resent having to pay the same as others in a bigger property. I thought the same, I wouldn't be popular if their properties suddenly increased with a higher rate of CT. But the only fair way is for EFDC to look inside rather than just what's on the outside which is how they originally decided. At least that way I wont be held responsible (nor you)...!!

DubDriver

Heres_the_deal said:

I'm considering asking for a re-valuation. However, if it all goes pear shaped, can the residents in the street find out who started the process? The last thing I want is being responsible for someone else's CT increasing whilst mine goes down. Its a real moral dilemma.

Under data protection legislation The Valuation Office will not divulge the name or address of the person who instigated the band alterations.
The Council Tax Banding List is in the public domain, but unlikely that anyone would notice your band had gone down just before theirs went up!
It is also extremely unlikely that the VOA would increase your neighbours bands as a result of researching into yours.
I would say just concentrate on getting yours right. A band increase would give your neighbours rights to lodge an appeal and more importantly attend a tribunal hearing.

lincroft1710

DubDriver said:

Heres_the_deal said:

I'm considering asking for a re-valuation. However, if it all goes pear shaped, can the residents in the street find out who started the process? The last thing I want is being responsible for someone else's CT increasing whilst mine goes down. Its a real moral dilemma.

Under data protection legislation The Valuation Office will not divulge the name or address of the person who instigated the band alterations.
The Council Tax Banding List is in the public domain, but unlikely that anyone would notice your band had gone down just before theirs went up!
It is also extremely unlikely that the VOA would increase your neighbours bands as a result of researching into yours.
I would say just concentrate on getting yours right. A band increase would give your neighbours rights to lodge an appeal and more importantly attend a tribunal hearing.

If during investigation of a dwelling's band it was found that the bands of neighbouring dwellings were too low, the VOA has a duty to increase those bands. In such circumstances the complainant's band is usually found to be correct.

I'm ex VOA and came across several such cases. The worst was where a woman complained that 3 houses of the same type as hers were 2 bands lower than hers. The available evidence showed that the higher band was correct and the 3 wrongly banded houses each had a 2 band increase. There were no appeals. 

lincroft1710

hss said:

But the only fair way is for EFDC to look inside rather than just what's on the outside which is how they originally decided. At least that way I wont be held responsible (nor you)...!!

It is nothing to do with Epping Forest District Council or any other council, CT banding is carried out by the VOA, an agency of HMRC.

CTrendy

Pleased to report that this year we successfully appealed to VOA for a reband from F to E on the basis that most identical house (some with extensions) in the same street were E already.   Backdated 19 years (!) to when the estate was built.  Over £6k back.  Paid for a car.  Which was nice.

May71

Hi, I’ve been living in my house for 20 years.  Realised I was paying at least one council tax band more than my neighbours about 15 years ago but when I tried to appeal to Bolsover District Council was told I couldn’t.  Due to a new supermarket being built in my town I was now allowed to appeal.  An email and 30 mins work has seen a successful appeal; a refund of over £3000 (the refund was taken all the way back to 1991 but includes a refund from when I bought the house) and a move from Tax Band D to C.  Saving approx £200 per year. 

MrsB124

Hi, roughly how long did it take for the VOA to respond to your enquiry please? I sent mine off in June and had a letter to say that it should be completed 2 months after the date of their letter (by mid August), but still not heard anything. Although  I appreciate Covid will be delaying their systems due to home working etc. 

Should I wait another few weeks/month and make contact, or is it just a case of waiting until I hear from them.

many thanks 🙏 

MrsB124

I have received a copy of the response by email today, which was not changed for the reasons below. But we did not challenge this in 2007,we moved in there in  2006???? So not sure what the message about 2007 or 2000 means either as the previous owners bought it in 1989 - I know they had a mortgage for £80000 but no idea what their deposit would have been 🤷‍♀️.......,.....

2007, a case was dismissed by the Valuation Tribunal, due to want of prosecution. The Band F was deemed correct, and the sales evidence supplied at the time was considered to be supportive of the current Band F.

 

They state that the sale in 2000, was not considered, due to being sold in a poor state of repair at the time.

Any idea, I presume you can’t appeal as they didn’t mention that in the letter 🤷‍♀️

Many thanks 

lincroft1710

MrsB124 said:

I have received a copy of the response by email today, which was not changed for the reasons below. But we did not challenge this in 2007,we moved in there in  2006???? So not sure what the message about 2007 or 2000 means either as the previous owners bought it in 1989 - I know they had a mortgage for £80000 but no idea what their deposit would have been 🤷‍♀️.......,.....

2007, a case was dismissed by the Valuation Tribunal, due to want of prosecution. The Band F was deemed correct, and the sales evidence supplied at the time was considered to be supportive of the current Band F.

 

They state that the sale in 2000, was not considered, due to being sold in a poor state of repair at the time.

Any idea, I presume you can’t appeal as they didn’t mention that in the letter 🤷‍♀️

Many thanks 

It would appear that an appeal was made in 2006/7 and went to a Tribunal hearing. Because the person who made the appeal failed to attend the hearing and presumably did not ask the Tribunal to hear the appeal in absentia, the Tribunal (quite correctly) dismissed the appeal. The CT band was  investigated and from sales evidence the VOA clearly thought it correct, so in the circumstances would have asked the Tribunal to dismiss the appeal.

I am not sure if you have quoted the email verbatim or the VOA response was slightly vague, but there is a possibility the VOA are referring to an identical dwelling on which there was an appeal rather than an appeal on your home. If there is doubt, I would ask for confirmation that the appeal was on your home.

A previous Tribunal ruling whether dismissal or determination will virtually always result in the VOA automatically rejecting any further request for a band review.

Because a valuation for CT purposes has to assume the dwelling being good repair, any sale of the dwelling at a time when it was in poor repair has to be ignored.

There is no appeals procedure in place and even if there was what could you appeal against?  There is both supporting sales evidence and a VT decision.