Neighbours are in a lower council tax band - fingers crossed

iamcornholio

I got a mailshot from Randell & Vickers today, who have "noticed" that I might be due a rebate of council tax for being in the wrong band.

They would help me for 25% +VAT of whatever I got back. Most kind of them

Anyway, I followed the advice on here myself, and checked neighbours, and there are three properties on a lower band and three on a higher (my ) band. All the properties are the same

Someone from the VOA is going to call me back

So someones going down a band and possibly two others will too :j , or three are going up a band

BillTrac

I received the same mailshot last week. If these idiots had any idea then they would know that basing my tax rate on the houses around would probably INCREASE my tax.

As you seem to have done, either do this yourself(I am sure somebody much wiser than me will come on here and tell exactly how to do it) or search for a company of your choice. Don't just accept the first letter that drops through your letterbox. And certainly do not spend the money before anything actually happens if it happens at all.

Well done OP, for having the sense to check for yourself. If only people with PPI and accident claims could do the same these companies would go where they belong

Gelly123

Good luck with this - I searched all the neighbouring property council tax bandings when we bought our house 5 years ago and it turns out we were banded too high and it was subsequently reduced - saves us about £200 per year.

If it pays off in your favour, give your neighbours with the wrong bandings a knock and tell them to apply for a revaluation too - you could become one of the best neighbours in your street!

Best wishes
Gelly

iamcornholio

Gelly123 wrote: »

If it pays off in your favour, give your neighbours with the wrong bandings a knock and tell them to apply for a revaluation too

I would do that, but for obvious reasons I am keeping quiet about it at the moment in case it goes the other way LOL

TBH though, I have a sneaking feeling that those neighbours on the lower band may have queried their banding years ago and got theirs lowered and not told anyone else. But I've been known to be wrong before

iamcornholio

OK, it was quite painless

The VOA phoned back as promised, asked why I though the band was wrong (neighbours similar houses in lower band, and value of my property in 1991 should be a lower band) and that was it, they will open a file and look into it.

May take up to two months though

Academic

iamcornholio wrote: »

I have a sneaking feeling that those neighbours on the lower band may have queried their banding years ago and got theirs lowered..........

A couple of years ago I requested a VOA review of our council tax banding as the adjacent (mirror image) property was a band lower than our half of the semi. Turned out that the neighbours had got their property rebanded some years earlier. When I looked into the legislation covering council tax (1992 Local Government Finance Act) I discovered that the Listing Officer (LO) has the dual task to compile and maintain an accurate council tax list; it also states that the LO is under a duty to make such alterations as are necessary to the list and apply this decision to other similar dwellings in the immediate vicinity.

After writing to the VOA and pointing out the above not only were we re-banded to the lower level and received a refund on our 'over payments', we also received a refund of the interest on the over-paid sum.

If you are successful in your appeal you may wish to pursue the above with the VOA !!

ioscorpio

iamcornholio
Do it yourself rather than use a company that want 25% + VAT.

I have not done it myself yet as I am struggling to getting 1991 prices, I have looked in the library at estate agents, but have not found any for sale during that period on my small estate.

My house is in the same band as the surrounding houses, but mine is a 3 bed detached, whereas the majority of the others are 4 bed detached, but look similar from the outside.

I bought my house in 1994 and got a 25% discount from the asking price. There is no sold price records on sites like Rightmove, Mouseprice, Zoopla etc. prior to 1995.

ariba10

Had the same with our home when the council rebanded.

Claimed and they lowered the rateable value.

Found that the water rates had increased due to the higher original valuation and they refused to lower it.

Went on a water meter and am now saving £10/15 a month.

weebob87

Hiya,

Can anyone help? I have too queried my council tax banding with the VOA as all my neighbours are on a band A and I am on a B. I received a letter back today saying that they were unable to accept my proposal as valid as it I did not ask them about it in the 1st 6 months that I lived in the property.

I have lived there for nearly 6 years so as you can imagine that is quite a lot of money to be overpaying over the years.

Do you have any advice on how I can get the overpayment back?

Thanks in advance x

itzmee

My next door neighbours of my old house checked their banding as we were both on band B for a 2 bed house. They found out we were paying the same as the 3 bed houses on the street. They made a claim to the VOA who confirmed we were in the wrong band and should be on band A. They were refunded their
overpayment and I automatically received a refund without having to make my own claim. I think my neighbours may have said I was also paying the same as them to back up their claim. I was none the wiser until they told me that they had submitted their claim, but 3 years worth of refund was a lovely surprise!

Academic

weebob87 wrote: »

Do you have any advice on how I can get the overpayment back?

Have you followed the advice given by Martin on this page (toward the bottom) in Step 4: Challenge ??

The VOA often use the 'you've lived there too long to appeal' approach but if you follow Martin's approach you should get some joy.

Also, remember to quote the relevant legislation (see my post above) and remind the VOA that they have a duty to maintain an accurate list.

HTH.