Challenging council tax banding

Crinnolin

Hi have tried to challenge my council tax banding 3 times in the last 25 years but not got anywhere with it. 
The last recent reason is that I cannot prove the house price sales figures of my area between 1989 and 1993. 
I am unable to get this information that far back. I have requested it from voa and also looked on zoopl etc.
Can anyone tell me how else I can get this information?
Or otherwise, should I appeal the decision to the ombudsman?

p00hsticks

The property pages of local newspapers of the time perhaps ? Back then many local papers had property sections or even entire supplements that estate agents would advertise in. 

tovmeister

We moved into a property in Nov 2022 and Council Tax Band was C..the estate agent info stated D so was expecting a rise, but then got stung by council for an E banding. I appealed and went to tribunal but the panel decided to keep with the E Banding which is ludicrous...their reasoning being that the 'algorithm' used till stands despite us buying a peak of property market , and that despite other houses in the street and surrounding areas are bigger but on a lower banding we got stung because the council will only change bandings once a property has been sold. Once sold the council re-evaluates so if you live somewhere and extend and dont sell you will be OK....its your buyers that pay the price.
Gutted.

lincroft1710

tovmeister said:

We moved into a property in Nov 2022 and Council Tax Band was C..the estate agent info stated D so was expecting a rise, but then got stung by council for an E banding. I appealed and went to tribunal but the panel decided to keep with the E Banding which is ludicrous...their reasoning being that the 'algorithm' used till stands despite us buying a peak of property market , and that despite other houses in the street and surrounding areas are bigger but on a lower banding we got stung because the council will only change bandings once a property has been sold. Once sold the council re-evaluates so if you live somewhere and extend and dont sell you will be OK....its your buyers that pay the price.
Gutted.

It is the VOA (part of HMRC) not the council who deal with banding. If you are in England or Scotland all bands are based on property values as at 1 April 1991, so buying in November 2022 would have no effect on the band. Since the start of CT 31 years ago, CT legislation permits alterations to a property carried out by the current owner without the band being increased, but following a sale, the VOA (not the council) can then review the band.

lincroft1710

Crinnolin said:

Hi have tried to challenge my council tax banding 3 times in the last 25 years but not got anywhere with it. 
The last recent reason is that I cannot prove the house price sales figures of my area between 1989 and 1993. 
I am unable to get this information that far back. I have requested it from voa and also looked on zoopl etc.
Can anyone tell me how else I can get this information?
Or otherwise, should I appeal the decision to the ombudsman?

It is up to the CT payer to prove the band wrong. The VOA can only reveal house prices when there is a valid appeal and clearly you are well out of time to make a valid appeal. Pre 1994 house prices are not in the public domain and house price index figures will not be accepted by the VOA. 

The Ombudsman (if there is one for CT banding) will not be able to help as the VOA have done nothing wrong.

To be honest if you have already challenged your band 3 times since 1999, the VOA would probably summarily dismiss a 4th attempt as a "vexatious litigant". In 1999 the VOA would have properly investigated the matter (I'm ex VOA and at that time we thoroughly checked any band that was challenged).

The only thing I can suggest (and the VOA probably already did this when you made a previous challenge) is to look around the area for properties of a similar age, type and size in a lower band and present this as evidence.