Appealing council tax band?

Heather2603

Yes I know but it's the council we pay

ellie27

I did it.

We were in a new build 3 bed semi, band E, for almost 5 years and I saw the Moneysavingexpert show on tv about the council tax bands.

I found another new development less than 2 miles along the road and the almost identical houses were band D.

I submitted the online application and a couple months later got notice that they were putting us down to band D.

I advised my 5 neighbours all in identical houses and they only had to make a quick phonecall to sort theirs since they were in identical houses.

We all got a £2,000 refund and our council tax bill reduced by about £300 per year.

I moved into another house less than 2 years ago.....my council tax band appeal is in the process and we are just waiting to hear.....

If you don't ask you don't get!

lincroft1710

To answer an earlier point, whilst working in the VOA in the 1970s/80s increased many rating assessments for timber, asbestos and concrete garages as well as for conservatories. Never ever increased one on account of tiled or half tiled bathrooms.

To the OP, if your home to be, is definitely the same size and accommodation as end terrace then it shouldn't be any higher than those.

There are 3 possibilities,

1. Band B is correct for both inner and end terrace

2. Band C is correct for both inner and end terrace

3. Band B is correct for inner terrace but end terrace should be Band C.

marmcon

Getting a review isn't as easy as it at first seems from the VOA website (and MSE). I emailed the information the VOA requires and was impressed to get a reply within two days - until I read this reply:
You have not provided enough evidence in your email to allow me to undertake a review. The evidence I need includes the following:
Evidence of identical, or very similar, properties in your locality which are in a different band.
Sales evidence in your locality, very close to the valuation date of 1 April 1991 (no more than two years either side of this date), which suggests your property might be incorrectly banded.
Evidence that an error was made when your property was banded.

The sales you provided are not close enough to the valuation date of 1 April 1991 to show clear evidence your property is incorrectly banded. I will investigate the band if you are able to provide more compelling evidence to suggest your property has been incorrectly banded.

My property was built in 1998 and I bought it new. It's a two-bedroom house in a development of 7 houses, the other 6 all have four bedrooms, but we're all in the same council tax band. My house passes the two MSE tests for council tax review.
I live in London. I don't know where to start looking for the information the VOA requires. Any helpful ideas gratefully received!

teddysmum

lincroft1710 wrote: »

To answer an earlier point, whilst working in the VOA in the 1970s/80s increased many rating assessments for timber, asbestos and concrete garages as well as for conservatories. Never ever increased one on account of tiled or half tiled bathrooms.

We were advised (1971) about the bathroom tiling by the builders, so perhaps the original valuation would be affected as opposed to a bathroom fully tiled later (which ours was).


My parents approached the council about garages and were told that a prefab garage was exempt as it wasn't permanent.


We also understood that conservatories would only count if they had a brick base, otherwise being classed as temporary.


My husband's friend wanted to add an all UPVC conservatory to his house and was told by the council that they would need an inspection, though he as unsure about this.


The visit was viewed by a neighbour : 40 seater coach pulls up and a small group of people get out. They have a chat, do not approach the house, then get back in the coach and are driven away. Permission was granted.

Mickygg

I did it and failed.

I even had the house sold in 1992 which was supposed to be the deal breaker......but the tribunal agreed with the view that as the property was sold to a bank it was ASSUMED to be sold below market value!! Unbelievable. So my house was a band higher than most of my neighbours. To rub salt in the wounds I sold at a lower price than one of my neighbours who was indeed on a lower band.

glasgowdan

I'm currently appealing our band. We are almost identical to the house next door (same floorspace and livable area, just a tweaked layout compared to theirs) which is 1 band lower. We have also been given the same band as large houses across the road which sell for twice what ours is worth.

They're proving very slow to reply though!

phoebe1989seb

We're considering appealing ours. Currently in band G, same as a couple of properties in the lane that are twice as big and sell for almost three times the value of ours. Problem is there isn't an identical house - or even one remotely similar - to compare it with.

Odd, because if it was valued on a drive-by, our house looks considerably smaller from the lane than it is in reality, whereas the larger houses look huge!

According to the two MSE tests, we are two bands too high

Mr.Generous

I appealed band successfully following Martins guide prior to being a forum contributor, and I'm ashamed to say I have never said a big THANKS!

I followed all the criteria, the purchase price was below the band valuation and the Nationwide price index backed me up. Similar properties in the same close of 22 houses were a band lower, larger properties were same band. When I had been in the house about a year I noticed and my attempt to question it was thrown out on the grounds that I was out of time. Using Martins arguments some ten years later I got it reduced and paid back the difference for the entire occupancy. I purchased an Astra 1.9 SRI brand new with the help of a part ex.

Ah to be an impulsive youth (relatively speaking) again.

lincroft1710

teddysmum wrote: »

We were advised (1971) about the bathroom tiling by the builders, so perhaps the original valuation would be affected as opposed to a bathroom fully tiled later (which ours was).


My parents approached the council about garages and were told that a prefab garage was exempt as it wasn't permanent.


We also understood that conservatories would only count if they had a brick base, otherwise being classed as temporary.

The council are not the arbiters of the matter, neither are builders. There was no legislation which exempted any type of outbuilding belonging to a dwelling when assessing it for domestic rates. The phrase "speak to the organ grinder, not the monkey" springs to mind. Some councils (all long gone) gave positively misleading information about how properties were rated.

I remember visiting a house in the early 1970s which had a conservatory on a timber base and was told it was "portable". My response was that if they could move it I wouldn't rate it, which of course they couldn't. I rated it.

I worked at several Valuation Offices, none disregarded temporary outbuildings for rating purposes.