Rebanding - they did not follow procedure - its unjust

langlin

Hi,

I posted a little about this on 22 April - Lincroft kindly replied - but I'd like to give it a wider airing please.
The VOA raised my band from D to E, on the basis of work carried out in the 1990s, but they did not carry out any kind of assessment of the effect of the work on the value.
It sounds as if they (the VOA, or the Council ?) are acting dishonestly, using works done nearly 30 years ago, which they have not assessed (it could have been and was, fairly trivial work), and add insult to injury, since the 1990s my house has effectively changed from detached to semi-detached, due to work carried out by my neighbour.
I wrote to them, giving compelling reasons why band E is too high, but owing to the absence of any similar properties nearby, they refuse to listen ! I said to them, could they kindly take note of the absence of similar properties nearby, but they refuse to listen.
I wonder if I can write to them and ask them the procedures they followed to reband my house, and the substance behind the rebanding.  In my opinion, they did not follow any just procedure.  It stinks ! Is there any way to complain against them ?

Thankyou.

lincroft1710

You really should have added this to your original thread. 


You can of course ask them how they came to reband your home, whether or not it was inspected, the criteria they used for increasing the band. CT legislation allows the VOA to increase or reduce a band at any time (providing the increase is not solely for works carried out by the current owner after 1 April 1993).

This link tells you how to complain about the VOA

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/valuation-office-agency-code-of-practice-for-complaints/valuation-office-agency-code-of-pratice-for-complaints#:~:text=If you need any help,on the VOA Contact Form.

Just because you don't agree with what the VOA have done does not mean they have acted dishonestly or unjustly. CT bands are not raised on a whim, there will usually be a reason behind it. The VOA gain nothing by raising a band and if it would be contentious (as in your case) will cause them far more work.