VOA response times

Figgybee

Hi. I challenged my council tax band with the VOA in February 2024. Despite my efforts I am yet to get any response other than automated emails fobbing me off that they are busy. Is this usual and the experience of others? 8 months waiting is, in my opinion, not good enough.

lincroft1710

You will see from several threads on this board that a long wait is not unusual.

Figgybee

lincroft1710 said:

You will see from several threads on this board that a long wait is not unusual.

Any thoughts on how long I should leave it? And if I want to complain or get this pushed along any idea how? Many thanks 

Kerreh

It took 18 months for mine to come to conclusion (submitted a proposal online on 07/02/2019, they then said no record of it, Jan 2020 they wrote and said technical issues... found it!... chase chase chase eventually resolved in June 2020). I ended up citing their code of practice for complaints to them however I note that this has since been updated so the clause I referenced is no longer there.

Figgybee

I’ve been banded a C. I have a one bed cottage (a former almshouse) of only 75sq mtrs. It is the end of a terrace of 3 cottages. Next door (mid terrace) is 3 bed 119 sq mtrs, and the other end terrace next to him is 2 bed at 94 sq mtrs. Externally on a ‘2nd gear drive by’ they would appear all very similar and I guess is why all are banded C. Of course internally they are all very different. 

Whoever heard of a small one bed being a band C - I certainly haven’t come across any in my research, perhaps this is why heels are being dragged?! 

I reckon there’s a case I should be banded A, but I guess I’ll accept B … (with 6 years backdated).
What do you reckon guys? And if anyone knows how to nudge this along please share .. 
TIA

lincroft1710

Figgybee said:

I’ve been banded a C. I have a one bed cottage (a former almshouse) of only 75sq mtrs. It is the end of a terrace of 3 cottages. Next door (mid terrace) is 3 bed 119 sq mtrs, and the other end terrace next to him is 2 bed at 94 sq mtrs. Externally on a ‘2nd gear drive by’ they would appear all very similar and I guess is why all are banded C. Of course internally they are all very different. 

Whoever heard of a small one bed being a band C - I certainly haven’t come across any in my research, perhaps this is why heels are being dragged?! 

I reckon there’s a case I should be banded A, but I guess I’ll accept B … (with 6 years backdated).
What do you reckon guys? And if anyone knows how to nudge this along please share .. 
TIA

Depending where you are in the country Band C wouldn't be excessive for a 1 bed 75 sq m end terrace. Because of how the banding system works it would be quite feasible for a 2 bed 94 sq m ET to be correctly in the same band. There is even a possibility that the other 2 houses are in too low a band  The sizes would have been known to the people who carried out the original banding as the VOA gave them this info (I'm ex VOA). "2nd gear drive by" is a media myth. 


There is a backlog apparently (which is no different to when I was dealing with CT appeals and rebanding requests from 1993 to mid 2000s). Requests for rebanding are low priority unlike formal appeals. You will just have to be patient, far better they take their time and investigate properly rather than send you a generic "computer says no" letter.

Figgybee

thank you lincroft 1710, you have been most helpful. I’ll sit on my hands for now. I shall also remain confident of a positive outcome.