Council tax - should I appeal it?

libby3589

Hi all, we recently bought a 3 bed new build. Unfortunately as it was a new build it hadn't been banded yet so we had no idea what to expect on council tax but we were given the impression it would probably be in tax band C. Well I've spoken to the valuation office today and they're banding it as a D! It works out as an extra £10 a month for us so not the end of the world but my point is this. We paid £181,000 for it. According to this website and Nationwide Building Societies website the value of the house should put it in tax band C. Should we appeal the decision? The other 3 beds on the development are tax band D's too and they said it's because of the area. Surely it's done on house prices as all of the websites tell me and not on whether it's a nice place to live?

lincroft1710

"A nice place to live" will affect the price. As it is extremely doubtful the VOA will turn around and say "sorry but it should have been Band E" you have nothing to lose by appealing.

If you can find any occupiers of other 3 bed houses in Band D who have been there less than 6 months, get them to make appeals as well.

Red_dog_Sam

Whilst you are entitled to appeal the banding within the first 6 months, if the other similar properties are in the same band it's unlikely to succeed. The bands are still based on a market value as at 1st April 1991 and not the current market value so any conversion tables based on that can only be broad estimates. You could ask the VO if any of the others have alreday appealed and lost? The outcome of an appeal would affect all the similar properties too.

libby3589

Ok, of course the last thing i want to do is affect our neighbours in a negative way and like you said, the chances of them putting it up to an E are extremely unlikely. But wouldn't the nice area show in the price we paid for the house? ie a 3 bed house in a not so nice area might be £160,000 but ours was £181,000 thanks to the area. This still as a broad estimate puts the '91 value at £58,000.

lincroft1710

Red_dog_Sam wrote: »

Whilst you are entitled to appeal the banding within the first 6 months, if the other similar properties are in the same band it's unlikely to succeed.

You could ask the VO if any of the others have alreday appealed and lost? The outcome of an appeal would affect all the similar properties too.

From experience it wasn't unusual for the first 9 occupiers of a particular house type not to appeal but the 10th occupier would. But as you say if there's already an unsuccessful appeal, then libby's chances of success are minimal.