Challenge Alteration of Council Tax Banding?

blawford

Hi,

I moved into a house on 5th December and had a notice on the 9th February saying that our banding was being altered from a 'C' to a 'D' (UK). Checked online and every other house in our street is a 'C', it is a terraced house and although our house is extended every other house on the street has the same or larger extension. Some of the houses with two story extensions (ours is single) even have Velux roof windows, so most likely converted lofts too, which we do not have.

In terms of work, the only things the previous owners did was fit an upstairs shower room, knock through a wall, rewire and replace the boiler. The extension was done in 1993 but they didn't have a buildings certificate for it, so someone had to come out and issue one at the point they sold it, not sure if the Valuations Office thinks the house was extended under their ownership.

Basically I am trying to work out whether it is worth challenging the re-banding? From my perspective every other house is the same or more developed than ours.

elmer

You have a right of appeal for 6 months from the VOA decision, so do appeal if you think its incorrect.

After 6 months you can only ask them to have another look

elmer

lincroft1710

Appeal on the basis of other houses in the street either the same size or larger in Band C. As you have less than 2 months to appeal do it now rather than later.

But be aware that by making appeal you may be alerting the VOA to the fact that the other houses in the street could be underbanded and rather than yours goes down, they all go up.

MWES

I got a letter from the valuation office 29th May saying my band may need changing.
On 9th June they compared my house to other cheaper and smaller ones in the area from 1990, 91 and 92, only similarity is 3 bedrooms and saying they need to increase my band from D to E.
We've lived there since 1989 and no alterations took place until after the council tax was introduced.
I've told them of the purchase price July 89 of £76500 and that evaluates to £82000 on the Nationwide house price site.
17th June my council tax has now gone up some £300 and I suppose I have to pay it.
They say the alteration is due to Category 6 "The entry in the council tax list has been amended in the light of additional information" but they don't say what this is
Can they just increase it on a whim?

CIS

They say the alteration is due to Category 6 "The entry in the council tax list has been amended in the light of additional information" but they don't say what this is
Can they just increase it on a whim?

I would suspect that a neighbour may have appealed and they have looked again at the surrounding properties but decided during this that your banding was incorrect. The VOA have a duty to main the valuation list correctly so would be duty bound to look at any errors that may have crept in to the banding. You would need to contact the VOA for more information as to the full reasons.

CIS

blawford wrote: »

Hi,
In terms of work, the only things the previous owners did was fit an upstairs shower room, knock through a wall, rewire and replace the boiler. The extension was done in 1993 but they didn't have a buildings certificate for it, so someone had to come out and issue one at the point they sold it, not sure if the Valuations Office thinks the house was extended under their ownership.

Basically I am trying to work out whether it is worth challenging the re-banding? From my perspective every other house is the same or more developed than ours.

If possible that is the reason if an improvement marker had been made on the property - the only way to be certain in to contact the VOA and ask.

lincroft1710

MWES wrote: »

We've lived there since 1989 and no alterations took place until after the council tax was introduced.
I've told them of the purchase price July 89 of £76500 and that evaluates to £82000 on the Nationwide house price site.

Are you sure the alterations were carried out after 1 April 1993?

£76,500 in July 1989 would certainly suggest a figure lower than £88,000 in April 1991.

MWES

I thought April 91 was the key date?

lincroft1710

Council Tax came into effect on 1 April 1993, so it is the physical state of the dwelling at this date (or at the date of the last sale after this date) that is taken into account. For Wales the date is 1 April 2005

CT bands are based on property values as at 1 April 1991 (Eng and Scot), 1 April 2003 (Wales).

MWES

So if I extended between May 91 and April 93 I can expect a higher band than my neighbors?
But then it is arguable how much the value increased with 2 more bedrooms if as you say the value before would be much lower than £88K and how can I prove it?

lincroft1710

I would suggest that the 1991 value with 2 more bedrooms could easily be in excess of £88,000. Your 1989 purchase price did not reflect those 2 bedrooms, so it is useless as a point of reference if those bedrooms were added pre Apr 1993.