Council Tax. Are You Paying More Than Your Neighbours? Check It Out

musey

I am currently in the middle of a re-banding appeal. Luckily there is some construction work going on behind us so I fit the 'appeal' criteria. My property in a B along with 6 others on the street all of which are larger and semi detached whereas I am in a mid terrace.

Anyway to cut a long story short I have had a phone call from the Valuation Office, they want to send out a valuation officer to the property to 'look at things' (??) not quite sure what that entails, will they expect a full tour of the property? I have one room where I do not allow visitors as it has some equipment in. Will they just look around the exterior with me?

Anyone with any experience of this please give me some ideas what to expect.

Cheers

Maisie

I don't know what the VO will look for Musey but at least you have set the ball rolling for an appeal.

Hope you get some good news and a refund!

Good luck. Maisie. OP

musey

I've got my fingers crossed for a refund but am a little concerned about this visit.

taba

Can someone help after reading this thread I appealed on the basis I live in a semi-detached and am banded D all other properties in the road are C they are 3 bed detached with garage we don't have a garage and they have larger gardens.
I have received a reply today saying 'The banding is correct. I accept you may have referred to properties in a different band but there may be reasons that are not immediately apparent or they need to be reveiwed.
On the facts I hold it does not appear to me that you are able to make a proposal to alter the band.
I have just checked on Nationwide site based on our property value now it was Band C in April 1991.
Have I any grounds I can appeal on - I have lived here since 1987 and never knew until I looked at the site we are the only property and the neighbour we are semi with are the only Band D.

Maisie

taba wrote:

Can someone help after reading this thread I appealed on the basis I live in a semi-detached and am banded D all other properties in the road are C they are 3 bed detached with garage we don't have a garage and they have larger gardens.
I have received a reply today saying 'The banding is correct. I accept you may have referred to properties in a different band but there may be reasons that are not immediately apparent or they need to be reveiwed.
On the facts I hold it does not appear to me that you are able to make a proposal to alter the band.
I have just checked on Nationwide site based on our property value now it was Band C in April 1991.
Have I any grounds I can appeal on - I have lived here since 1987 and never knew until I looked at the site we are the only property and the neighbour we are semi with are the only Band D.

Appeal against this. Other posters have. Ask them why yours has been changed to a higher band since 1991.

HTH

Maisie OP

caveat_emptor

taba wrote:

Can someone help after reading this thread I appealed on the basis I live in a semi-detached and am banded D all other properties in the road are C they are 3 bed detached with garage we don't have a garage and they have larger gardens.
I have received a reply today saying 'The banding is correct. I accept you may have referred to properties in a different band but there may be reasons that are not immediately apparent or they need to be reveiwed.
On the facts I hold it does not appear to me that you are able to make a proposal to alter the band.
I have just checked on Nationwide site based on our property value now it was Band C in April 1991.
Have I any grounds I can appeal on - I have lived here since 1987 and never knew until I looked at the site we are the only property and the neighbour we are semi with are the only Band D.

This doesn't look right. Ask the VOA on what basis they're refusing a rebanding. There are exceptional circumstances where a higher value property can be down-banded but it's unlikely all the detatched house would qualify.

Maisie

musey wrote:

I am currently in the middle of a re-banding appeal. Luckily there is some construction work going on behind us so I fit the 'appeal' criteria. My property in a B along with 6 others on the street all of which are larger and semi detached whereas I am in a mid terrace.

Anyway to cut a long story short I have had a phone call from the Valuation Office, they want to send out a valuation officer to the property to 'look at things' (??) not quite sure what that entails, will they expect a full tour of the property? I have one room where I do not allow visitors as it has some equipment in. Will they just look around the exterior with me?

Anyone with any experience of this please give me some ideas what to expect.

Cheers

Hi Musey. Did the VO visit and what's the outcome?

Hope it was good news for you.

Maisie

To all MSEs. Now we're in the new tax year and different council tax costs.......
usually higher check your banding against the other houses in the road.

HTH

musey

Well guys, thought I'd update you all.

Basically we've been in this property since 2002 and paying Band B, my parents owned the house before us (since 1994).

A new block of 12 apartments was started directly behind us in Nov 05, around the time I started reading about incorrectly banded properties.

We put a form in appealing against the valuation at band B, originally this was turned down as being invalid (because we'd lived here more than 6 months) however when talking to the officer I explained about the new build it appeared we did have a valid reason to appeal......so we did.

An officer came round and inspected (all very simple...didn't even go upstairs which was a relief), took a few photos and left. Approx 2 weeks later we got a letter agreeing that we were incorrectly banded with an agreement to sign accepting a new banding of band A BUT only from Nov 05.

I wasn't happy and so appealed against that. Luckily I obsess with all things to do with house purchases and had a copy of the RICS valuation carried out in 1994 when parents purchased property, a print out from http://www.nationwide.co.uk/hpi/default.asp which works out an approximate value and because I'm a pedantic little b*tch sent details of 5 other properties in the immediate vicinity that are the same or better type than our house and are banded band A; asking why they were band A and our house not.

Since then I have had a lovely phone call agreeing with my evidence (no need to go to a tribunal, although I would have done) saying my council tax is to be re-banded to band A from April 1993. As my parents owned the house previously I had also named them on the original appeal and so they will also be due a refund of o'paid council tax.

So a big result for us!!! Thanks to all who have posted on this thread as it really has saved us a packet my other half is vvvvv impressed!!

Because I'm nice I am passing all my paperwork onto my next door neighbours to give them all they need to appeal as well.

Thanks again.

thunderbirds_2

Thank you very much everyone! After reading this thread I discovered I was paying the highest band of council tax in my road - despite both my immediate neighbours living in bigger houses. I appealed, and have just received a letter saying my house is being re-banded from F to E, and it will be backdated to the date I moved in: 1999! Wow! look forward to receiving the cheque...