Council tax banding of a property with private road

Dave2013

Hi all,

hopefully i can get some feedback as to how you might see this situation as i am probably bias as its my own problem.

details.

just bought a new build house (4 bed detached) and it is situated in a cul-de-sac which once entered from the main street has no obligation from the council to maintain it - there is no street lighting, roads have to be repaired by the home owners, no drain cleaning/road sweeping/gritting etc...

so i have just received my council tax banding from the VOA and i was surprised to be banded E when i was anticipating a band D, i had previously checked the area for houses of similar size which are in both more established areas and the newer areas which on an average was coming out at band D.

i did appeal the VOA's decision and detailed the reasons been other properties in the same area been band D and also put forward the services we are missing out on from the council by our road not been adopted by them.

the reply from the VOA was to keep the house a band E.

i can appeal again to an independent panel, do you think i have an argument???

Thanks Dave

Itismehonest

As per above.
However, the things you list are often not available in the immediate local area for people paying CT. The theory seems to be that those living in areas where the facilities don't exist still use the facilities where they do.

Dave2013

Thanks for those Reply's!

1/ no i havent gone to a VOA tribunal i have 3 months to do so if i so wish to.

2/ i understand what you are saying regarding the services and using them in other areas - but what about outside my house? at the end of the day i would think most people pay CT to get a service they feel is directly beneficial to them i.e bins emptied, road sweep, drain cleaning, road repairs, gritting etc... i know i might use these services if other areas especially the roads etc... but if my private road or drain on the road becomes faulty then in a way i am going to be paying for that service twice - 1 for the fellow down the street on an adopted road through my CT & then 2 for my self through a private company to get my own repaired.

it just doesnt seem right.

00ec25

Dave2013 wrote: »

it just doesnt seem right.

then you should not have chosen to buy a property in a PRIVATE road (which for some, but not all, people will carry a value premium)
or if you made a mistake you should have paid more attention to your legal pack and noted that the builder was not intending to apply to have the road adopted

there are loads of people in private roads all of whom have to pay CT for services they do not directly consume.
That of course also applies to all forms of taxation - you presumably similarly object to paying towards elderly services because you are not old and disabled services because you are not disabled? Same illogical stance

Dave2013

00ec25 thanks for that reply - you are right in that a private road does come with a premium, 1 which i would like to think was included in the price of the house, not council tax or people who require benfits -this i pay for through my wage i.e tax and NI.

and possibly from you reply and attitude you might not realise i am not wishing to pay no CT at all, but be fairly banded.

Itismehonest

Dave2013 wrote: »

Thanks for those Reply's!

1/ no i havent gone to a VOA tribunal i have 3 months to do so if i so wish to.

2/ i understand what you are saying regarding the services and using them in other areas - but what about outside my house? at the end of the day i would think most people pay CT to get a service they feel is directly beneficial to them i.e bins emptied, road sweep, drain cleaning, road repairs, gritting etc... i know i might use these services if other areas especially the roads etc... but if my private road or drain on the road becomes faulty then in a way i am going to be paying for that service twice - 1 for the fellow down the street on an adopted road through my CT & then 2 for my self through a private company to get my own repaired.

it just doesnt seem right.

As someone who lives where the nearest street light is 4 miles away, street cleaning is unheard of, gritting is a bag dumped beside the road for us to spread & having one property charged as main residence plus 2nd home (which can't be sold separately) who pays CT at over £4K a year (the 2nd home has never even been given a bin) I agree but............

We had to put in our own drainage to stop surface water coming off the lane. It's a bit like private education. Just because one pays for their own doesn't mean they don't pay for others. There's nothing fair about Local Government. If they can take it legally they will - fair doesn't come into it, sadly.

comeandgo

Try living in a remote country area where you dont see police, lighting, gritters, bin men etc. We did try the same arguement with council years ago and it makes no difference. The only deduction we got was due to private water supply.

Itismehonest

comeandgo wrote: »

Try living in a remote country area where you dont see police, lighting, gritters, bin men etc. We did try the same arguement with council years ago and it makes no difference. The only deduction we got was due to private water supply.

True. With private water, lose your supply, & you're on your own, too
We see police once every few years. They're usually asking for directions :rotfl:

lincroft1710

To reiterate and quantify what others have said Council Tax is a TAX. It is not a payment for services provided for an individual or their home, but a payment towards the cost of council expenditure, which includes education, social services and libraries.

Dave2013

Itismehonest - thanks for your info and opinion, it seems some people like to make comments just to try and have an argument.

it seems at the end of the day i am touching on something which nothing can really be done about but it doesnt mean it is fair or right.

Itismehonest

Dave2013 wrote: »

Itismehonest - thanks for your info and opinion, it seems some people like to make comments just to try and have an argument.

it seems at the end of the day i am touching on something which nothing can really be done about but it doesnt mean it is fair or right.

No, neither fair nor right. Anything is worth a try..... just don't hold your breath on getting success. You're in the realms of little tin gods when dealing with local government departments.