Even more moneyback on council tax?

anna31

The recent Tonight with Trevor MacDonald programme looking at council tax banding looked at a family who had appealed against their Council Tax Banding as they felt their home had been devalued due to the development of a factory nearby which completely ruined their view. Their Band was reduced though not becasue of the factory - the Council said they had been put in the wrong band years ago when the properties were originally banded. The programme suggested that the Council said this and lowered the Band to avoid acknowleding the fact that YES the factory had devalued their property and their band would need to be altered to reflect this - the fear being that this would open the flood gates to anyone in similar circumstances, and councils up and down the country losing thousands in Tax. HAS ANYONE HAD THEIR COUNCIL TAX BAND REDUCED BECAUSE OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS ETC WHICH HAVE AFFACTED THE PRICE OF THEIR PROPERTY? If so, how did you go about it?

Thanks,

Anna:

seven-day-weekend

How could they prove whether local developments had affected the price of their property?

Mrs_Optimist

When we move we are goong to query the Banding of our new home (Band D) because the houses on the opposite side of the same road are the same size etc but are Band C) Has anyone heard of this either? In answer the the OP question I very much doubt that the Council would admit that a development had affected property prices because then surely that would open the floodgates?

Hooner

anna31 wrote:

The recent Tonight with Trevor MacDonald programme looking at council tax banding looked at a family who had appealed against their Council Tax Banding as they felt their home had been devalued due to the development of a factory nearby which completely ruined their view. Their Band was reduced though not becasue of the factory - the Council said they had been put in the wrong band years ago when the properties were originally banded. The programme suggested that the Council said this and lowered the Band to avoid acknowleding the fact that YES the factory had devalued their property and their band would need to be altered to reflect this - the fear being that this would open the flood gates to anyone in similar circumstances, and councils up and down the country losing thousands in Tax. HAS ANYONE HAD THEIR COUNCIL TAX BAND REDUCED BECAUSE OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS ETC WHICH HAVE AFFACTED THE PRICE OF THEIR PROPERTY? If so, how did you go about it?

Thanks,

Anna:

You would have to prove that your home has lost value due to any new structures. To do this, you'd need to chart the value of your home and others in the immediate vicinity before the construction took place and compare the prices to other similar properties in the area (there are some good website which could help you with this, or a friendly <snigger> local estate agents). If, after the construction, the value of nearby homes failed to keep up with others in the area, you would have a very good case, You could also have a case to sue the factory for compensation.