Council Tax Reduction

50Twuncle

I have contacted VOA to try to get my council tax group dropped by one
I paid £74k for my property in 2000 Q1 - Which puts its value in 1991 Q2 at £51,664
This is under the £52k limit for band B - but will they accept my valuation (Nationwide) - or will they use their own valuation ?
This has big implications because I would be claiming refunds for 18 years as would 40+ neighbours in identical properties (all band C)

oz0707

Not an area i know much about but think it helps if you find similar local properties which are band B. Get on right move and then search what band similar houses are in. compile a list or spreadsheet.

PixelPound

If all the properties around you are also Band C, then that is one of the considerations (Have you read the MSE article on it?)

ashe

Think you will struggle with a variance of under £400, they can easily argue a small margin of error there.

vivatifosi

When was your house built? If you are making such a claim on such a small margin your case won't be heard without significant supporting evidence.

You can appeal to the VOA, but unless you have lived there less than six months, or there has been a tribunal overturn a result on a neighbouring or very similar property within the last six months, you don't have a right to take it to the Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS). You can investigate the VTS website to view previous decisions.

I won by tribunal many years ago now and was downgraded by a band. I then helped a neighbour put together their case and they also won, resulting in all the houses here being revalued, but to achieve that I had to provide a lot of proof.

On the forum just up from here on reclaiming, there's a section on council tax. There's a guy there called Lincroft who can advise you further if you wish, but I fear he will say the same.

50Twuncle

Thanks + it is worth trying though
The house is was built in 1950

vivatifosi

If the house was built in the 1950s it may be worth seeing if your local library has back copies of the local paper from 1991 and see whether you can find similar houses for sale. Prices were going for under the asking price in 1991, so if you can find similar from that time, it would be good evidence. I'd also look six months either side of Apr 1991.

You will need this before writing, as if you find evidence after they've refused you, you won't get a right to appeal.

50Twuncle

vivatifosi wrote: »

If the house was built in the 1950s it may be worth seeing if your local library has back copies of the local paper from 1991 and see whether you can find similar houses for sale. Prices were going for under the asking price in 1991, so if you can find similar from that time, it would be good evidence. I'd also look six months either side of Apr 1991.

You will need this before writing, as if you find evidence after they've refused you, you won't get a right to appeal.

Thanks - will do just that...

PasturesNew

I'd have thought, for such a mis-banding of so many properties, that enough of the neighbours would've kicked up a fuss at the time.

Find the oldest 2-3 residents and ask if they were there when it changed over and if they thought they were over-valued and if anybody did anything about it or had any "evidence".

Your most local large library is likely to hold all back issues of old newspapers, probably on microfiche - it's all hit/miss depending on which county you're in. But contact the biggest library within 15-20 miles in your county to find out who has the old papers and how you get to see them. They might not be indexed at all and you might find yourself having to "flick through, page by page, at a microfiche machine, every local newspaper for every day for 2 years before, reading every house advert"....

50Twuncle

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'd have thought, for such a mis-banding of so many properties, that enough of the neighbours would've kicked up a fuss at the time.

Find the oldest 2-3 residents and ask if they were there when it changed over and if they thought they were over-valued and if anybody did anything about it or had any "evidence".

Your most local large library is likely to hold all back issues of old newspapers, probably on microfiche - it's all hit/miss depending on which county you're in. But contact the biggest library within 15-20 miles in your county to find out who has the old papers and how you get to see them. They might not be indexed at all and you might find yourself having to "flick through, page by page, at a microfiche machine, every local newspaper for every day for 2 years before, reading every house advert"....

I moved in in 2000 and evidently, 12 months previous to this - virtually every house in the road was rated as a Band D - they were mostly down-banded to a C shortly after this - so NO way are they going to do the same again.....
It was worth investigating though !