Appealing council tax band?

glasgowdan

phoebe1989seb wrote: »

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

Same, appealing a G to an F. I can't see how they can argue to be honest!

lincroft1710

marmcon wrote: »

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!

1. What band are you in?
2. How much was your house in 1998?
3. How much were the other houses in 1998?
4. What info did you give the VOA?

teddysmum

lincroft1710 wrote: »

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.

People didn't know the 'facts' in those days, as there was no internet to look things up on.



Round here , where there's money to grab, the council does so...then wastes it on vanity projects, while cutting services.

marmcon

Thanks for replying, lincroft1710. I don't know what the houses were marketed for in 1998 - mine had been rented out for a year. In answer to your questions:
1. Band G
2. £225,000 in June 1999
3. Last of the 4-bedroom sold in January 1999, £300,000.
4. Here is the info I gave the VOA in addition to the details such as my address and my council tax reference number:
"When I bought my two-bedroom property in June 1999, I paid £225,000.
All the other houses in Brecon Mews have 4 bedrooms, and the last one of those to be sold was in January 1999 for £300,000."

Housing_Benefit_Officer

I appealed when I moved into my current home and had the band reduced from G to E. Can go the other way though. There are cases where entire rows of houses have had their bands increased after someone appealed the banding and the VOA realised that all the properties should be in a higher banding.

lincroft1710

marmcon wrote: »

Thanks for replying, lincroft1710. I don't know what the houses were marketed for in 1998 - mine had been rented out for a year. In answer to your questions:
1. Band G
2. £225,000 in June 1999
3. Last of the 4-bedroom sold in January 1999, £300,000.
4. Here is the info I gave the VOA in addition to the details such as my address and my council tax reference number:
"When I bought my two-bedroom property in June 1999, I paid £225,000.
All the other houses in Brecon Mews have 4 bedrooms, and the last one of those to be sold was in January 1999 for £300,000."

On those prices I think you are on the F/G borderline. I would try and see if you can find Band F 2 or 3 bed modern houses nearby and try to find prices of other similar houses nearby.

glasgowdan

Been in touch with the assessors and gave them all of my evidence. They're going to come out for a chat about it all...Fingers crossed it's not too abrupt a meeting. I plan to keep pursuing this one to the very end.