How do i find out house prices in 1991

lincroft1710

Yes, I've read and heard quite a bit about Scottish house buying system. Oddly although it has never dealt with Scottish CT, VOA does have access to Scottish house sales and had I still been working there I could have checked if there were any relevant 1991 sales in your area.

edinburgh12

Many Thanks.
I have a meeting with assesor this week and I will inform you of outcome.if

arunadasi

One more thing: my flat has a garage that goes with it: could that account for the difference in banding?
ANyway, I am going to call them today.

lincroft1710

Yes, garage could make a difference, depends if 1991 value of flat is near band break.

System

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Sidwell - you can get 1991 sale prices from VOA, but ONLY if you have made a valid appeal against your Council Tax band. The VOA have the prices so if you were not able to make a valid appeal, you should say to them - "Without disclosing specific addresses what were x bed houses of same size as mine in my street and 2/3 either side selling for in 1991". When I worked for VOA I would tell taxpayers that "x bed houses of same or slightly smaller size sold for between £a and £a+, within your road/next road".

What a find this thread is! Sorry to sound foolish, but what constitutes a "valid appeal". Where we are in the process is the listings officer has agreed to a meeting with us and a neighbour. Our neighbour's rationale (which I assume has generated the meeting in the fist place) is that our new build Suffolk house banding feels wrong in comparison with a comparable house they sold in Surrey in 1991. Are we able to ask this question yet or do we not yet have a valid appeal? I have booked appointment with records office to search local papers but it would be much easier if we got info direct from VOA. Both of us have toddlers/babies and little people and library research is not hugely compatible!!!

lincroft1710

If you or neighbour have neither completed a Proposal for Alteration of Valuation List form and sent it to VOA, nor completed online Proposal on VOA website and submitted it, then you haven't made valid appeal. You should have received paperwork concerning your appeal if you've made one. VOA is only obliged to disclose 91 prices where a valid appeal has been made.

If you haven't made an appeal you have 6 months from either date of 1st occupation or date of VOA Notice, whichever is later.

Comparing bands of similar houses miles apart isn't helpful, you and neighbour should be looking at comparable Suffolk houses as near as possible in size, type and location as yours, don't compare Newmarket houses with those in Lowestoft. What a house sold for in Surrey in 1991 is irrelevant.

Having recently spoken to former colleagues, it seems they will now not provide much info where no valid appeal made, other than just "having fully investigated your band, I believe it is correct".

System

.... for a helpful and super quick reply.

Yes, I did read the whole thread a couple of times and noted the point about proper comparability. This is why I mentioned with some surprise that she has secured a meeting apparently only on these grounds!?

I will follow up as to whether more has been done becasue I notice on our local authority website where you can review council tax band information that their house is flagged as having a listing review pending.

You are a mine of information and again I just wanted to thank you for so selflessly sharing your time and thoughts :T

lincroft1710

Best thing you could do to get some possible evidence would be walk/drive round your area make note of addresses where you think house is similar to yours then check band on VOA website. Any you find lower band than yours you could ask VOA reason why.

SarahDR

My semi-detached house in Surrey is in Band F. We have a single storey kitchen extension. I have compared other properties in the road and found all identical properties are E. The only other properties in the road in Band F are either detached, or have two-storey extensions, or loft conversions, or much larger single storey extensions. We contacted the VOA who reviewed the banding and concluded that our property was correctly valued in 1991: "at the lower end of Band F". We still disagree and need to respond with more evidence for our case. The Nationwide valuation tool suggests that all similar properties should have been banded in E (as well as some of the bigger properties that are banded F), but I understand that the VOA will discount this as inaccurate. Following advice from this thread, I have tried finding advertised prices of properties for sale in my road in 1991. Unfortunately, no-one seems to keep archives of local papers - I tried the publishers, as well as local museums, libraries and estate agents. Not sure where to go from here, but still feel it is unfair! Does anyone have any advice please?

lincroft1710

SarahDR - look at bands of houses which appear similar to yours in neighbouring roads, you may find some in Band E, but even this is no guarantee that your band would be reduced. VOA may have good 1991 sales evidence to back up their case, they are not permitted to disclose this unless a valid appeal has been made, but you could ask what makes them confident band is correct.