Council Tax Banding Review - REJECTED

chuckcheese

Hi - I challenged my valuation thanks to the information and help on this site.

Our story is quite simple, there are 3 properties all built by the same developer in a small private road. There are 2 adjoining 3-bed semi's and a much larger 4 bed detached house.

The developers have confirmed that the semis are the same, and built to the same specification.

Having been in the detached house many times, it is significantly larger in general and also has the benefit of an extra 'proper' floor accessible by normal stairs (ours is a spiral staircase to a small attick room) an extra bedroom, and an extra room downstairs (dining room). It also has an outside garden, where the semi's have none.

One of the semi's has been valued in band D, the other in band E - which initially raised suspicion something was wrong as they are the same.

The large detached house has also been assigned band E.

(We are in the semi with the higher band of course )

On talking to the VOA informally, the lady who took my details said off the record that this is as clear a case as she had seen, and that there must be a mistake. She lead me to believe she was looking at plans whilst talking to me.

However today we received notice that the decision will stand, purely because the neighbouring property is larger than ours. I accept this may be the case if measured, but it would honestly be very minor, and not visible by human eye.

Conversely, we were told that the size increase of the far lager detached house was not enough to separate the properties.

This seems very unfair and that they are bending the rules to back this decision. How can minor differences in size matter in one respect, and major differences not make any difference?

They have even stated on the letter that the deference between band D & E would need to be significant in terms of size, which it clearly isn't. The houses are identical by eye.

We were never that bothered about the valuation, but this stinks of a con and has made us feel quite aggrieved.

We have been told there is nothing we can do about the decision, because we have been living here a number of years as tenants.

I am suspicious that given this fact, they are able to just make any decision that benefits them.

Is there anything we can do? It seems so unfair.

chuckcheese

Oh I should probably add that they didn't visit the property, so it's assumed they have some kind of plans, which it's possible are not accurate.

lincroft1710

If you are in England and in 1991 your house would have been worth £88,500, the other semi £87,500 and the 4 bed detached £119,500 then the current bands for all 3 would be correct. Note I say if.

You can ask them to come and remeasure your home, but do be aware that if they decide the 2 semis are the same there is a possibility they may increase your neighbour's band.

You could write to your MP and ask if they would take up your case with the VOA, but no guarantee they'd get the result you want.

chuckcheese

Thanks for the reply. Totally get that.

But how would they make such a valuation, it seems very specific.

The house was built post 1991. The Halifax tool puts ours in band D along with the neighbouring property, though they referenced this and said it's entirely inaccurate (though seems they accept it's results are accurate for the other 2 properties)

Is it reasonable that I ask for some kind of evidence to support their calculation? Is there any obligation on the VOA to supply this?

lincroft1710

VOA have no obligation to provide any evidence of how they calculate the band unless a formal appeal has been made within 6 months of first becoming the occupier.

chuckcheese

Just want to update this to say they did a u-turn and refunded me nearly £3k - I didn't do anything but ask for documentation to backup their original decision. A few months later I received a letter saying they looked into it again and changed their minds.

Result.