Letter from the Valuation Office - possibly increased council tax band

Mrs_Z

Hi, just thought I ask if any of you have had experiences with regards to the Valuation Office and Council tax bands? We moved to a new house (new to us, not a new build) at the beginning of the month and have now received a letter from the Valuation office stating that as the previous owner had made alterations to the property, they will need to consider if the property should be put into the next council tax band. They have not made a proposal to visit the property, only to say that they will write again in a month if the change is necessary. The previous owner had added a small extension to the rear but I would be very surprised if this would take the house up to the next band. How is the evaluation done? Will they just consult the plans lodged with the Council for the extension?

AdrianC

When you were buying, you may have noticed that the property had an improvement index flag against the council tax record. This is the result.

Yes, they go off the various pieces of public information, which they use to assess the value of the place as it is today, but back-calculated to 1991 values. You'll shortly receive a letter telling you whether it's going up or staying the same.

If it goes up, and you disagree, you can appeal - again, this is a paper-based exercise, and if they feel they're right, you'll receive a letter telling you exactly what and why and how they calculated the result on.

DaftyDuck

In my experience, they come and look, but it's only a cursory glance. Even a small extension may well bump you up a band. Where there is a clear improvement to a property, they normally seem to get it right when they revalue. If it's a reasonably new property (say less than 30 years) with a fairly standard extension, they'll have lots of comparatives to base their new value on.

You can still appeal, and I did so successfully a few years back. It's easier to appeal with an odd or older property, as they are more difficult to accurately judge.

They rejected my initial appeal, and it went to a ratings panel. Being OCD, long-winded and a scientist, I'd prepared a thirty minute presentation for the appeals panel, photos of a dozen other properties, selling prices of even more, graphs and pie charts. I think they expected a three line response. I did win, but I did rather embarrass myself with the extent of my win. They'd tried bumping the property (ex pub) up by two grades and I'd expected to win with a bump up by just one by over-arguing that any increase was unjustifiable as a bargaining ploy.

They agreed with my inflated case, and turned down any increase whatsoever, and the Ratings Officer was left looking severely crumpled.

Mrs_Z

Thanks for the responses! Yes, I now have noticed that the property did indeed have an improvement notice recorded against it (as have few others on the road). None of the houses on the road is in the next band - so hopefully we are safe.... This was something that was completely out of my radar when we were looking to buy - but you live and learn. Well done Dafty Duck on yours - hopefully ours does not come to having to appeal!

lincroft1710

It is unusual for the VOA not to inspect the extension, although if it was done more than 9 years ago it may have been noted when inspections were made for the cancelled 2007 CT Revaluation.

However it is now 8 years since I worked in the VOA, so they may now be operating a non inspection policy.

AdrianC

lincroft1710 wrote: »

It is unusual for the VOA not to inspect the extension, although if it was done more than 9 years ago it may have been noted when inspections were made for the cancelled 2007 CT Revaluation.

However it is now 8 years since I worked in the VOA, so they may now be operating a non inspection policy.

They certainly didn't visit last year, when we were moved up a band having moved in to a place with an II flag on it.
Nor did they visit when I appealed the up-age.

TBF, though, it wasn't entirely unwarranted - since the place turned out to have been sold in 1991 for pocket-change away from the threshold they decided we'd crossed, through the addition of a sockin' great kitchen & bedroom extension...

Logan008

im gonna kick up some fuss if they try. as next door used to be a 3 bed the same but slightly larger, its now a 4/5 with a rear extension and there still on the same band as me.


I don't think they should be allowed to do this after a sale. after all the solicitor informs you its band X then after you buy it it goes upto band Z. kiss my A. the previous owner should have had it increased before sale, as they noticed the improvement.


ours has been extended over the garage to a small 4 bed.

AdrianC

Has it changed hands/occupants since? No matter how much extending is done, no re-evaluation of the band is done until a change of occupant. That's what the "Improvement Index" flag tells you - that there's a re-evaluation due, next time there's an opportunity. Wierd, yes. But true.

Better_Days

OP the main thing is the bands of comparable properties nearby.

When we moved into our current property it was a band E but next door, a very similar property, was Band D. I sucessfully appealed the banding and we were lowered to a band D. I didn't go as far as pie charts a la DaftyDuck (well done DD btw), but I put together as much info I could find - which is quite a bit nowadays - google is your friend - with regard to the size, plot size, garage size, sold prices of properties nearby ours. I made up a comparison table with my conclusions below. The idea is to try and make the VOA's decision as easy as possible in your favour.

The VOA rang me up and thanked me for the info. What swung it though was next door being a band D.

As far as I'm aware there was no visit to the property - however, even if the property listing isn't live on RM quite a bit remains on the RM archive.

GL OP, if the VOA do decide to put the band up, gather your evidence to support your case. It's worth the work.

lincroft1710

AdrianC wrote: »

Has it changed hands/occupants since? No matter how much extending is done, no re-evaluation of the band is done until a change of occupant. That's what the "Improvement Index" flag tells you - that there's a re-evaluation due, next time there's an opportunity. Wierd, yes. But true.

It is change of owner not occupier.

lincroft1710

Logan008 wrote: »

I don't think they should be allowed to do this after a sale. after all the solicitor informs you its band X then after you buy it it goes upto band Z. kiss my A. the previous owner should have had it increased before sale, as they noticed the improvement.

ours has been extended over the garage to a small 4 bed.

CT legislation only allows a band to be increased on account of alterations or extensions after the property is next sold.