Council Tax rebanding going to tribunal

koocha

Hi

We applied to have our property rebanded from a D to a C. We were told that the applicatino was not valid. We appealed and have been told that it still wasn't a valid application and is now going to tribunal.

Is this because we didn't do it straight away and they're been inundated with applications so this is their way of scaring us into backing down?

We are a semi with 3 bedrooms. The house attached to us has 5 bedrooms. We're both band D. Our neighbouring semis (3 bedroomed) are in band C.

Is it worth continuing with this hassle? The letter states it could take up to 6 months.

Thanks

Tim

tarinilie

No they're not scaring you .
You have a right to appeal and this appeal is listed and will go to tribunal - This is the democratic process.
It is unlikely the VT will find in your favour if the appeal is invalid - outside 6 months etc.
However, the VOA should review the band - they have a statutory duty to maintain an accurate list of bandings and will change it if they think it wrong?

Why didn't you appeal within the first 6 months ? _ You probably didn't know of the legislation/ appeal rules - this is what is catching people out !

koocha

Yeah, that's it. We've lived here for nearly 7 years now.

We weren't aware of the other houses' banding or that there was a way of contesting it - until we saw Martin Lewis on the telly.

Should we go all the way on this?

tarinilie

The VT will probably throw it out as invalid - you need to convince VOA that you are in the wrong band - how much was your house worth in 1991 - have you got evidence it should be band C? was the house next door to you extended by present ccupier ? ( in which case the extension will have no relevance)

3XsAlady

Hi Koocha, we too were in the same position as you, received a letter approx. 3wks ago stating it was going to tribunal and not to expect anything to happen for up to 6mths. lo & behold received a letter today informing us we are now band A (was C) and we've been in our property for over 30yrs - don't give up. Good luck.

gotnocars

Hi, I also applied to the local VOA and was simply told that mine was an "invalid proposal". I wrote back asking them to denounce everything that Martin said on this matter. They, of course, didn't. But stated that they'd looked again at my proposal, and said it was still invalid. They did, however, refer it to a tribunal and the date came this morning - 9th May. All their literature makes it plain that I have to prove them wrong - they don't have to do ANYTHING. Meanwhile I look out of my window to see a house twice the size of my own, in a lower band.

tarinilie

What do you meant they don't have to do anything - rubbish.

they have a duty to maintain an accurate council tax list

Is this house really twice the size of yours. perhaps the current owners extended it

Perhaps it's in the wrong band?

Have you any actual evidence it is in wrong band. if so the VOA should look at it and correct it

maz525_2

Hi,

Please help me, we're in band c but there's house's on my street in b, same style house's so i wrote to the voa and of course they said it was invalid but will look into it, 4 weeks later i got a letter which more or less said that in 1991 the house would have been worth £54,000 which was a band c so they implied that was an end to the matter, but when i bought the house in 1993 it was only valued at £45,000 and i still have the original valuation report, would this help my case does any one know? and should i still follow it up or is my husband right in saying "it won't happen for us"
Hope someone can advise

maz525