Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

lincroft1710

Analyst said:

We have succeeded in reducing our council tax band, but the council has only paid back 12 of the 17 years over payment. so far. There has been no explanation for the random period they have chosen to refund.

It used to be common practice for councils to erroneously repay only 6 years worth of overpayment, but 12 years is unusual. There is a possibility that because of council mergers they may no longer have records more than 12 years old.

ic

ic said:

Just received notification from VOA that they've agreed to re-band my house from E to D, saving around £440 per year.

We only moved in two months ago, but will make a big difference going forward.  My road has lots of individual houses, mostly bungalows where mine is a three bed detached.  I searched on Google for similar homes within the area that were the lower band D, and had sales information.  I sent the best ten matches via the VOA website Sunday night, and they've written back on Weds agreeing to changing the band.

Also knocked on and let my elderly neighbour know, shes now the only band E two bed now, and I expect she'll be able to reclaim back to 1993.  Hopefully will buy favour for the next time I knock on to explain our extension plans!

Just had the son of the previous owners of this home knock on with a bottle of champagne for us. I'd asked the estate agent to let them know about the council tax reband I'd secured after moving in. They submit a claim on behalf of the estate through their solicitor, and after almost a year had secured a circa £6500 tax refund for overpaid tax through 1993 to 2020!

Womama

Band C

To Band B

I challenged my council tax band and heard today that it was successful, my neighbors are all in band B including a three bed house whereas I live in a 2 bed flat! I called the council and they had already changed the band and I am now owed £536! I am delighted! Thanks so much, without this site I would never have known how to challenge this. I'm so grateful 🥲

Riscci

So we recently moved in to a new build house. The original banding was an E. We appealed this based on the value we bought at compared to the 1991 valuation and bigger/more expensive homes in the area on lower banding. We won the appeal and was moved to a D.

We have now had correspondence from the VOA informing us another house on the site of the same type has appealed via tribunal and lost. Therefor our band change was in error and they are moving us back to an E.

I can’t find anything online about similar scenarios or advice on how to go about challenging this. We’ve contacted the VOA asking for their evidence and guidance on how they can overturn a successful appeal. All we’ve had back is generic letters. 

Does anyone on here have any experience of this?

lincroft1710

Riscci said:

So we recently moved in to a new build house. The original banding was an E. We appealed this based on the value we bought at compared to the 1991 valuation and bigger/more expensive homes in the area on lower banding. We won the appeal and was moved to a D.

We have now had correspondence from the VOA informing us another house on the site of the same type has appealed via tribunal and lost. Therefor our band change was in error and they are moving us back to an E.

I can’t find anything online about similar scenarios or advice on how to go about challenging this. We’ve contacted the VOA asking for their evidence and guidance on how they can overturn a successful appeal. All we’ve had back is generic letters. 

Does anyone on here have any experience of this?

The VOA can increase a band if they believe it is too low even if they have previously reduced it..


I'm ex VOA and a colleague had take over an unfamiliar area because the usual caseworker was on long term sick leave. Colleague reduced quite a few bands. On return from sick leave, usual caseworker saw what colleague had done and promptly reinstated the original bands, having good evidence for so doing.


You can certainly challenge the second re-banding, but a Valuation Tribunal decision is usually exceptionally good evidence, especially where there is no 1991 sales evidence of the subject or identical dwellings. So you would probably struggle to persuade a VT hearing that Band D is correct

Riscci

lincroft1710 said:

Riscci said:

So we recently moved in to a new build house. The original banding was an E. We appealed this based on the value we bought at compared to the 1991 valuation and bigger/more expensive homes in the area on lower banding. We won the appeal and was moved to a D.

We have now had correspondence from the VOA informing us another house on the site of the same type has appealed via tribunal and lost. Therefor our band change was in error and they are moving us back to an E.

I can’t find anything online about similar scenarios or advice on how to go about challenging this. We’ve contacted the VOA asking for their evidence and guidance on how they can overturn a successful appeal. All we’ve had back is generic letters. 

Does anyone on here have any experience of this?

The VOA can increase a band if they believe it is too low even if they have previously reduced it..


I'm ex VOA and a colleague had take over an unfamiliar area because the usual caseworker was on long term sick leave. Colleague reduced quite a few bands. On return from sick leave, usual caseworker saw what colleague had done and promptly reinstated the original bands, having good evidence for so doing.


You can certainly challenge the second re-banding, but a Valuation Tribunal decision is usually exceptionally good evidence, especially where there is no 1991 sales evidence of the subject or identical dwellings. So you would probably struggle to persuade a VT hearing that Band D is correct

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Under what criteria would the banding be set up on a new build site and what evidence would the VT use?

When we have researched the banding in the area we are in. We can prove larger houses sit at a D, more expensive properties sit at a D. Also our 1991 valuation is a D. 

My concern is that whichever house on the estate failed with the VT to prove their case, this will now set precedent for other appeals.

lincroft1710

Riscci said:

lincroft1710 said:

Riscci said:

So we recently moved in to a new build house. The original banding was an E. We appealed this based on the value we bought at compared to the 1991 valuation and bigger/more expensive homes in the area on lower banding. We won the appeal and was moved to a D.

We have now had correspondence from the VOA informing us another house on the site of the same type has appealed via tribunal and lost. Therefor our band change was in error and they are moving us back to an E.

I can’t find anything online about similar scenarios or advice on how to go about challenging this. We’ve contacted the VOA asking for their evidence and guidance on how they can overturn a successful appeal. All we’ve had back is generic letters. 

Does anyone on here have any experience of this?

The VOA can increase a band if they believe it is too low even if they have previously reduced it..


I'm ex VOA and a colleague had take over an unfamiliar area because the usual caseworker was on long term sick leave. Colleague reduced quite a few bands. On return from sick leave, usual caseworker saw what colleague had done and promptly reinstated the original bands, having good evidence for so doing.


You can certainly challenge the second re-banding, but a Valuation Tribunal decision is usually exceptionally good evidence, especially where there is no 1991 sales evidence of the subject or identical dwellings. So you would probably struggle to persuade a VT hearing that Band D is correct

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Under what criteria would the banding be set up on a new build site and what evidence would the VT use?

When we have researched the banding in the area we are in. We can prove larger houses sit at a D, more expensive properties sit at a D. Also our 1991 valuation is a D. 

My concern is that whichever house on the estate failed with the VT to prove their case, this will now set precedent for other appeals.

Banding criteria is the same for all dwellings in England, what it would have sold for had it existed as at 1 April 1991. The VT would reach their decision based on evidence supplied to them by both the VOA and the CT payer. VOA evidence can include relevant sales information, settled appeals with CT payers (band reduction agreements and appeal withdrawals) and previous VT decisions. 


If you are using house price indices to find the 1991 value of your home then do be aware that the indices are inaccurate and far too generalised. Also some areas and property types have increased disproportionately in value since 1991.


You are quite correct that the VT decision on the other house has created a precedent. A precedent which the VOA will hang their hat on.

ben637

lincroft1710 said:

I'm ex VOA and a colleague 

Hi, I understand you are ex VOA nd processes can change etc, but I have a quick question as I am considering appealing my banding.

Our house was first purchased in June 1990 for £102700. But we are in Band F. With the date of the original sale so close to April 1991. The upper of band E is £120k so to me it is clear that the property didn't increase in price almost 20% in 10 months (in fact the index shows it likely dropped slightly in that time). 
My question is how important is actual sale data of the actual property, and are there reasons that the first sale of a house is not accurate?

It is important to note that the property has not been changed/improved since built.

I am trying to get the original purchase price of several other identical properties on my estate as I would expect those to be the same. (unfortunately they are not on the free house price information site as it is a few years too early).

As it stands the Tax banding of the whole estate looks to be 1 grade above expected, so I can use other houses tax bandings as evidence for requesting a reduction.

Any insight would be welcomed.

ben637

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

I'm ex VOA and a colleague 

Hi, I understand you are ex VOA nd processes can change etc, but I have a quick question as I am considering appealing my banding.

Our house was first purchased in June 1990 for £102700. But we are in Band F. With the date of the original sale so close to April 1991. The upper of band E is £120k so to me it is clear that the property didn't increase in price almost 20% in 10 months (in fact the index shows it likely dropped slightly in that time). 
My question is how important is actual sale data of the actual property, and are there reasons that the first sale of a house is not accurate?

It is important to note that the property has not been changed/improved since built.

I am trying to get the original purchase price of several other identical properties on my estate as I would expect those to be the same. (unfortunately they are not on the free house price information site as it is a few years too early).

As it stands the Tax banding of the whole estate looks to be 1 grade above expected, so I can use other houses tax bandings as evidence for requesting a reduction.

Any insight would be welcomed.

Should read "cant" use other houses tax bandings!

lincroft1710

ben637 said:

lincroft1710 said:

I'm ex VOA and a colleague 

Hi, I understand you are ex VOA nd processes can change etc, but I have a quick question as I am considering appealing my banding.

Our house was first purchased in June 1990 for £102700. But we are in Band F. With the date of the original sale so close to April 1991. The upper of band E is £120k so to me it is clear that the property didn't increase in price almost 20% in 10 months (in fact the index shows it likely dropped slightly in that time). 
My question is how important is actual sale data of the actual property, and are there reasons that the first sale of a house is not accurate?

It is important to note that the property has not been changed/improved since built.

I am trying to get the original purchase price of several other identical properties on my estate as I would expect those to be the same. (unfortunately they are not on the free house price information site as it is a few years too early).

As it stands the Tax banding of the whole estate looks to be 1 grade above expected, so I can use other houses tax bandings as evidence for requesting a reduction.

Any insight would be welcomed.

The following come to mind

1. The 1990 sale price was incorrectly recorded

2. For some reason house prices there bucked the national trend and showed a massive increase from 1990 to 1991

3. It was a repossession sale

4; The builder went bankrupt and the liquidators sold off the houses well below market value or in an incomplete state.

5. The plot and house were sold separately.

6. The band is incorrect


If any of 1 -5. don't apply then one has to ask why no-one has challenged their band during the past 29 years. Have you talked to your neighbours, there still may be one of the original owners around. Also some may have the original title deeds which show the 1990 sale prices.


Sales of subject dwellings around April 1991 are usually paramount evidence. Incorrectly recording a sale price does happen, but fortunately not often. Try and find similar size and type houses on other estates and see what their bands are..