No Rhyme or Reason.

_Steve_

I recently sent this application to the valuations department and after some time basically told that we needed to find similar sized properties on a lesser tax band  for ours to be changed down.

The value of our property in 1991 does suggest we are correctly banded currently but how can three, four and five bedroom be on a band D 

Obviously changed details within the text below

Good Morning.

Would you be kind enough to investigate the council tax band we are on please. My request is based on the following information.

All properties within "THE CLOSE" are fully detached and other than planning permission alterations are original as I will point out going forward. 

"THE CLOSE" when originally developed in the early 1970's had 4 x 4 bedroom properties, numbers 1, 4, 5, 8, up to recently all band E.

Also 4 x 3 bedroom properties numbers 2, 3, 6, 7 up to recently band D. ( tax bands info attached )

In 1982 the previous owner of number 3 Mr Brown applied for planning permission to extend the LH elevation of his property creating a larger lounge and dining room on the ground floor and adding two more bedrooms to the first floor. Not actually  obvious at first glance as its a corner property.  This now making the property's foot print significantly larger into a five bedroom property. from what was an original 3 bed. (planning permission document attached)

Mr Brown No 3 sold in 2001 to Mr White and as you can see it still remains as a band D now actually being the largest property in the close.( right move screen grab does not let on the quantity of bedroom's this property actually has unlike the other 2 properties in the listings

Mr and Mrs Blue, who have lived at number 4 a four bedroom property have lived in the that house for over 40 years and have in the last year, through a similar investigation through your department, had their Tax band lowered to a band D; the same as number 3 the  five bed property and the 3 x 3 bedroom properties of which I am the owner of one of them.

( Screen grab attached showing the now five bed property number 3  and number 4 a 4 bed property in the same tax band as the 4 x 3 bedroom properties being band D

I believe with the drive by valuations that took place in the early 90's number 3 the now already a five bedroom property was missed and the 4 bedroom properties were believed to be the largest of the properties within the close which was a band E this was obviously incorrect and missed when the value of the properties were accessed by just by a quick visual.

Its fair to say as a new home owner of number 3 back in 2001 your is not going to volunteer to have his council tax raised knowing your paying the same as a 3 bed property  and less than a four bed property all within the same close.

If a five bedroom property and a four bed property are on a band D I believe we should be a band C because of it only being a 3 bedroom property a much smaller footprint.

Grabs attached ( footprints ) showing the increase in property size of number 3 against the 3 and 4 bed properties.

Please by all means call me on 010100101010 if you need any further information and thank you for you time.

Best Regards 

HampshireH

Do you dislike your neighbours?

You appear to recognise your banding was correct but be trying to upset your neighbour by getting theirs reassessed?

I'd think it more likely theirs would get looked at and be impacted that yours being changed to a C when you recognise your banding was probably correct at the time.

But that said I'm interested in the outcome. I live in a road where banding varies from across different bands some of which seems at face value seems strange.

lincroft1710

Who knows? VOA may decide it shouldn't have reduced No.4 and increase it back up to Band E. 

It is also perfectly feasible for both 3 and 4 bed houses to be correctly in Band D (3 bed worth £70K in 1991, 4 bed worth £85K)

_Steve_

HampshireH said:

Do you dislike your neighbours?

You appear to recognise your banding was correct but be trying to upset your neighbour by getting theirs reassessed?

I'd think it more likely theirs would get looked at and be impacted that yours being changed to a C when you recognise your banding was probably correct at the time.

But that said I'm interested in the outcome. I live in a road where banding varies from across different bands some of which seems at face value seems strange.

Nothing to do whether I like the neighbours I believe in fairness, so the 3 other 4 bed properties have now put in claims to get theirs also lowered to the recently lowered band 4 bed property.

I doubt the council will look into the 5 bed property because our council is about as incompetent as it gets. In fairness 24 years at a lower band than they should have been on is a fair run.

I'm a firm believer "if you don't ask you don't get" 

What actually is the council tax based on as it seems to change like the wind depending whom you end up talking too?
If the property value calculator is to be useful how does it allow for a copious amount of money on internal upgrades to one of two identical properties prior to 1991 surely this would have reflected in its sale price which could place one of them in a higher band due to  its sale price. Irrelevant of the properties identical footprint or same bedroom quantity.

Its a seriously flawed tax and my humble opinion should be assessed yearly to keep up with the times if house prices rise and fall the so should the tax to reflect this.

However this would need another incompetent department to control it ................................and yes to that very question now going through your mind the answer is "yes"

How can this not have been changed since 1991 thereabouts ?

lincroft1710

Councils do not assess properties for CT that is the responsibility of the Valuation Office Agency (part of HMRC) in Eng and Wales, the Assessor in Scot.


Internal alterations may make a difference to the value of a property but it won't necessarily mean the band would be altered and the system was designed on a "broad brush" approach and wouldn't really pick up such nuances.


CT is based on 1991 property values in Eng and Scot, 2003 in Wales. Apart from an aborted revaluation planned for England in 2007, successive governments have decided not to change the status quo, probably because it brings in the money and in relative terms doesn't cost that much to operate.. 


The cost of an annual revaluation of the 24,000,000 properties in England and consequences would be hugely prohibitive so it is never ever going to happen


Regarding your appeal for a band reduction, I think it will be met with a generic "computer says no" response as you have failed to show examples of similar houses to yours in Band C