Grade II listed Council Tax Review

CornishWildFlower

Hi,

I would like to pick your collective brains please as I'm in something of an odd situation. I rent my home which is a lodge (gate) house which is one of a few properties in the grounds of a large private manor house estate. I have been here for 11 years and it was only my exclusion from the £150 help with energy costs which prompted me to investigate.

It's a very small 3 bed thatched affair that is grade II listed, has never been sold, never really updated and is the only one of it's type for a few miles. It's banded E which I have recently challenged by providing 5 addresses of the only comparable (some of which are larger) properties within a five mile radius and details of the property itself (one bathroom, single glazed leaded windows etc)

I was expecting a rebuttal but actually received an email from the VOA saying that they will be conducting a review and will contact me should they require access etc. So I was wondering if there is any further information that I should garner?  It's an odd situation as the house is in trust and can never be sold nor used as a holiday home, the trust stipulates that it must be used as a permanent residence. So very difficult really to actually value it IMO.

Any thoughts gratefully received..

lincroft1710

The fact it cannot be used as a holiday let would be irrelevant for CT purposes. I'm ex VOA and whereas planning restrictions can be reflected in a CT band, from memory an "artificial restriction", i.e. one that is imposed by the owner of the dwelling, such as the dwelling can never be sold, would be ignored.


There is nothing really you need to do.

CornishWildFlower

The person who imposed the restriction has long gone and the estate is now in the hands of his son, who is unable to sell it nor change the terms of its use, as per the conditions of the trust.  It's made it pretty difficult to guesstimate all round really...

If there's nothing else for me to do then I'll just keep my fingers crossed 🤞

lincroft1710

CornishWildFlower said:

The person who imposed the restriction has long gone and the estate is now in the hands of his son, who is unable to sell it nor change the terms of its use, as per the conditions of the trust.  It's made it pretty difficult to guesstimate all round really...

On the outskirts of my hometown is a large stately home which has been in trust for many years and the estate owns many properties in town as well as properties on the estate itself. I am pretty certain many of those properties can't be sold but I don't think this affected the CT band. If I can remember the addresses I will check. 

CornishWildFlower

Still no decision, it was due on May 22nd so I called at the end of the month and was advised that they're running behind because of the volume of challenges and that I should expect a decision by the end of July. Is there any way of checking beyond just using the 'check my CT band function?

lincroft1710

CornishWildFlower said:

Still no decision, it was due on May 22nd so I called at the end of the month and was advised that they're running behind because of the volume of challenges and that I should expect a decision by the end of July. Is there any way of checking beyond just using the 'check my CT band function?

No, as if a CT band is changed, that will be about the first place to look