Council tax rebanding - help needed please 29 March 2022 at 10:57AM in Reclaiming mortgage fees, council tax, etc 3 replies 72 views

wrrrrmrrr

Hello, I would like to ask for advise please. 
I read Martin Lewis check regarding challenging council tax band. My current band is C and I would like to have band B as about 50 neighbourhood has band B.
So my situation: I bought a house in December 2018. My council - Sefton, I live at number 8  -  it is semi-detached and I share the house with number 6. All of the numbers below are semi-detached houses. 
Neighbourhood bands:

1	B
2	C
3	B
4	C
5	B
6	B
7	C
8	C
9	C
10	C
11	B
12	C
13	B
14	C
15	B

Valuation: I used house price data from Nationwide calculator from Martin's article and used the oldest price found from rightmove which was 46000 in June 1995, and estimated property value in 1991 according to that calculator is £51.611 band B (£40,001 - £52,000) - so upper limit.

Since we bought the house we demolished a garage and built a summer house recently (we use it as a gym) - which we found out later - is to high to be that close to the fence - but we have no neighbours on the back at all and neighbours on both side don't mind. 

Is it worth challenging the band in my case? Can I have a problem with the summer house - is someone checking it? 

If it is worth trying could someone advise what to write in 'What is the reason you think your Council Tax band is wrong' box? I am not fluent so I am struggling how to write it to sound professional. I would be grateful for any help and advise. 

lincroft1710

NW and other house price indices are inaccurate seriously calculating 1991 prices at far less than they actually. I'm ex VOA and in the area I worked 1995 prices were about 20% lower than 1991, so on a 1995 price of £46,000,you would be looking at a 1991 value of around £57,000.


As you are out of time to make a formal appeal on the grounds of the band being too high, what sort of form are you trying to complete?


However, providing that the summerhouse is not on the site of the demolished garage, you can make an appeal on the grounds of physical change and material reduction i.e. demolition of the garage. But it may not lead to a band reduction as the value of the garage as part of the value of the whole property could be insignificant. Also in some cases because of the construction or condition of the garage it can be argued that its removal adds to the value of the property. Further its value can be offset against the value of the summerhouse

wrrrrmrrr

The article say that I can still contact VOA regarding band change even after 6 months. 
I thought I can rely on the website's valuation, £57,000 does not sound positive. Would it be worth to mention garage demolition? I thought it may be better not to mention it all, is it important? I just don't get how neighbours that I share the buiding with can have band B with me having band C

lincroft1710

wrrrrmrrr said:

The article say that I can still contact VOA regarding band change even after 6 months. 
I thought I can rely on the website's valuation, £57,000 does not sound positive. Would it be worth to mention garage demolition? I thought it may be better not to mention it all, is it important? I just don't get how neighbours that I share the buiding with can have band B with me having band C

There is a big difference between being able to make a formal appeal and just asking for a band review. If you want to make a formal appeal you have to mention the garage demolition and by making a formal appeal you will have the right to a tribunal hearing if you don't agree with the VOA's decision. 


There is always the possibility your band is correct and next door's is incorrect