Council Tax Query

toozie_2

We were notified some time ago that our house had gone up a 'Band', I just put the letter away, and accepted that everyone was going up, because of the increase in house prices etc.

Yesterday I read in the local paper, that many properties had been incorrecty banded. Does anyone know how I can check this out or appeal, and what happens if I start to look into it, and they decide I need to go up another band???

We are a family of 4, not receiving any benefits, appart from Childrens Tax Credit, so we wouldn't get any reductions that way.

Help!

libra10

Hello Toozie

If you go to http://www.voa.gov.uk/cti/InitS.asp?lcn=0
and enter your postcode, you can check banding of properties in your area.

You can then decide whether you need to appeal.

We appealed our banding several years ago and they reduced the banding. It's definitely worth it if you feel their valuation is incorrect.

Good luck

YorkshireBoy

libra10 wrote:

If you go to http://www.voa.gov.uk/cti/InitS.asp?lcn=0
and enter your postcode, you can check banding of properties in your area.

Good luck

You can if they have your correct details!

On checking the above link, I've just found that they have an incorrect post code for our (13 year old) street of 12 properties, and 2 of the properties are listed twice with different addresses.

I would have thought that a Government website would be more accurate than this.

One interesting point though is that my next-door-but-two neighbour's property is shown as likely to be re-valued when it next changes hands. I'm aware, like me, they have converted their garage into a bedroom/study and would have had to go for "building notice" with the local council. Seems cruel that you lose a garage to gain an extra room and then they want to penalise you for it.

monkeylugs

Very interesting! I discovered next door, and another house a few doors up were rebanded a band lower in 1993! I shall certainly be looking to see if I can get my (identical) house re-banded too..

Noozan

libra10 wrote:

Hello Toozie

If you go to http://www.voa.gov.uk/cti/InitS.asp?lcn=0
and enter your postcode, you can check banding of properties in your area.


Good luck

Hi

Does anyone know if there is a similar site where I can check bands in Scotland? Thanks.

LincsLad_3

monkeylugs wrote:

Very interesting! I discovered next door, and another house a few doors up were rebanded a band lower in 1993! I shall certainly be looking to see if I can get my (identical) house re-banded too..

Let me know if you find a way! Next door is a band lower than my place (identical house) so I guess they appealed at the time. According to the site, I do not have grounds for an appeal now, as I have lived here for more than 6 months.

oramgepekoe

You can appeal and be successful even if you've lived there more than 6 months. I did.

A couple of years ago when I first found the VOA site I saw that my house was in a higher band than similar ones, including the semi we are attached to! Despite having lived there several years I submitted an appeal online. I got a letter back a couple of weeks later to say that I'd an 'invalidly made proposal' (ie. not within the 6 month time limit) but that they had a duty to ensure that the Valuation List was correct and would investigate the case. It took nearly a year to be resolved but my council tax band was lowered and I got awarded 6 years of overpayments. I didn't have to go to court or anything, I just submitted a list of other similar properties in my street that were in the lower tax band. As my house has never been extended it was easy to compare it to other non-extended properties.

See the bottom part of http://www.voa.gov.uk/council_tax/invalid_proposals.htm

LincsLad_3

Cheers, has to be worth a try then, especially the 6 years overpayments bit !

waterbaby

Toozie, do you know why you went up a band? The rise in house prices isn't relevant, CT bands are based what your house's price would have been in 1991.

monkeylugs

Just want to let you know that I appealed against my banding and it has been reduced with effect from 1st April 1993! So I get a very small rebate having only lived here from Oct 2004 but the guy before me will get 10 years worth of the diofference back - probably about £1000 as the difference between band c and band b is £120 for this tax year so thanks to libra10!!