Council tax band-it is based on the price the property would have sold on 1 April 1991

Cachan

Hi, Could someone advise how to find the price of my property if it would have sold on 1 April 1991?
How the VOA would know the price of my flat on 1 April 1991?
Thanks,
Jose

sammyjammy

Everything you need to know

How domestic properties are assessed for Council Tax bands - GOV.UK

lincroft1710

VOA have details of virtually every property sale in England/Wales going back well before 1991. However the information is not in the public domain

Cachan

Hi, I have received a reply for VOA asking me to find prove of any properties similar to mine sold between 1989 and 1993 (so two year before or after 1991) so they can compare and maybe lookin into my request to change my council tax band. 
I have not replied back to them yet as it is impossible to get this information.
Could I ask them to prove to me the cost of my flat in 1989-1990-1991-1992-1993?Surely they should have this information as it was them who decided the Council tax Band for my flat.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Jose

lincroft1710

It is not for the VOA to prove the band is correct, it is for you to prove it is incorrect. 


If you cannot find any sales information try and find flats in the area of a similar age and size in a lower band

Cachan

So basically VAO will win every time someone challenge them because it is almost impossible to find what they ask for.
It is impossible they would know the cost of every flat.They should also prove how they allocated the council tax band.
Obviously loads of owners are overpayin

lincroft1710

Cachan said:

So basically VAO will win every time someone challenge them because it is almost impossible to find what they ask for.
It is impossible they would know the cost of every flat.They should also prove how they allocated the council tax band.
Obviously loads of owners are overpayin

The VOA most certainly  do not "win every time", they have reduced hundreds of thousands of CT bands. 


In the early days of CT the VOA had to show the band was correct when a band was appealed and the case went before a Valuation Tribunal.  Thus what is known as the "tone of the list" was established and after over 30 years the onus has shifted from the VOA having to prove the band was correct to the CT payer having to prove the band is incorrect. From the vast archive of sales info held by the VOA, they were able to allocate bands.


What evidence do you fave to show "loads of owners are overpaying"? Why do you think your band is incorrect?

Cachan

Hi Lincroft1710,
I have found out prices of some of the flats in the same building where I live.
One was £50000 in 1997,one £50000 in 1998 and another one £52000 in 1999 which was also sold for £33000 in  both 1996 and 1997.
Would someone know how to ask VOA to prove  the value of a property in 1991? 
Is VOA meant to tell us if we ask or they can refuse?

lincroft1710

The VOA do not have to "prove the value of a property in 1991", so no point asking them.  


As you have not stated the band you are in I cannot comment on the sale prices

Cachan

Hi,
My band is C.
If i can not prove the value of my flat in 1991 and they do not have to prove it then VOA is obviously taken advantage.
It is difficult to see the value of my flat being more than £50000 in 1991 when my neighbour's flat in the same block and same size as mine was £33000 in 1996 and 1997. 

lincroft1710

The prices and sale dates you quote suggest there is something amiss with the 1996/7 sale price of £33,000 and this should not be relied upon. There is no harm in you using the other 3 sales (quoting exact addresses and dates of each sale) in your evidence to the VOA.

In many areas property prices fell dramatically from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s, the recovery took several years with some areas and some property types not reaching 1991 levels for several years. 

There is no "obviously taken advantage" about it. As I explained in an earlier post 

"In the early days of CT the VOA had to show the band was correct when a band was appealed and the case went before a Valuation Tribunal.  Thus what is known as the "tone of the list" was established and after over 30 years the onus has shifted from the VOA having to prove the band was correct to the CT payer having to prove the band is incorrect. From the vast archive of sales info held by the VOA, they were able to allocate bands."

The VOA thus had to convince a Valuation Tribunal the band was correct by using sales evidence, which they did


Finally, you will generally find that if someone claims something is incorrect, it is for them to prove it is incorrect, rather than the other party prove it is correct.