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

bonio_2

Babbler wrote:

Hello,

How long did it take for the process to happen? Did you apply online?

Thanks

Hi,

I wrote to them at the relevant VOA office...http://www.voa.gov.uk/where/index.htm.
It will have taken 7 weeks from the date of that letter to receiving the letter of confirmation.
They tell you in their acknowledgement it should be concluded (their part)within 2 months, although this may vary depending on the workload in their area.-I live in S.E.
Of course I have not heard from the Council yet and I read somewhere on this board that it may take a couple of months.
Always quick to take it and slow to give it back, perhaps I'll not pay next months.

Babbler

Thanks. I called them yesterday and they said it takes uop to 6 months - worst case. But average is 2 months. Have applied. Nothing ventured... will wait and see!

lindabarr55

THis is the first time I have written on this site but I 'm so excited I had to tell someone....
After reading Martin's comments re council tax banding at beginning of August I telephoned Local Valuation Office as I had discovered that my neighbour (semi) has a lower valuation than me, yet the house is exactly the same.
They reduced my banding almost over night, and today- almost six weeks later they have put £1500 -yes £1500- into my bank account......
THANK YOU MARTIN, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.:j

chardonnay_2

thanks for this, think we might be eligible for the house we have just moved to. is there anyway to appeal for our old house as the form to appeal states you have to be the owner or liable for council tax?

Maisie

lindabarr55 wrote:

THis is the first time I have written on this site but I 'm so excited I had to tell someone....
After reading Martin's comments re council tax banding at beginning of August I telephoned Local Valuation Office as I had discovered that my neighbour (semi) has a lower valuation than me, yet the house is exactly the same.
They reduced my banding almost over night, and today- almost six weeks later they have put £1500 -yes £1500- into my bank account......
THANK YOU MARTIN, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.:j

Well done Lindabarr. Glad the post worked for you. You'll be paying less in the future too.

chardonnay. Contact them and say you were the owner/tax payer. Nothing to lose?

MSEs Check your council tax bands and appeal.

Maisie OP

suzuki1_2

Any advice on this would be appreciated. I appealed at the beginning of August against my Band F. New houses around me that have been built in the last 2 years are banded at Band E - although they are really obviously larger than mine, I have the schedules for them to prove this fact - and have told the Council this today.

However the Council is sticking to the fact that according to their records in 1991 my house is actually correctly banded. Do I have a right to bring in this comparison between us and these new houses - the Council keeps ignoring this and is telling me that it is my responsibility as a taxpayer to prove that there has been a material change in the value of my house - I cannot appeal any other way as we have been in the house nearly 5 years. The Council appears to be sticking this out and keeps mentioning 1991 - ignoring the fact that in comparison we are paying more for a smaller house than my new-build neighbours. Any advice?

CIS

If the nighbourhood has changed significantly since the house was built then you have valid grounds for appeal, if it hasn't , then you most likely are correctly banded and the other properties may have been underbanded.

Appeals on banding need to be made the Valuations Office rather than the council.

halloweenqueen_2

I got a letter back I couldn't really appeal as such as I'd been there for longer than six months but they are doing a review on it because obviously I am being treated unfairly as my neighbours either side are both in a lower band than me and I'm being 'discriminated' against. So I have hope yet, I've written with my reasons for not appealing then, basically i had no access that I knew of that I could find out what band my nieghbours were in and that we have more or less identical properties - I'm in the middle and they are noth lower bands - it doesn't make sense.

littlejaffa

halloweenqueen wrote:

I got a letter back I couldn't really appeal as such as I'd been there for longer than six months .

you can appeal the decision that you can't appeal, if that makes sence.

I'm 6 years to late to appeal, and i appealed that decision, and within a bout 5 minutes they'd backed down.
You shouldn't actually have to do anything but send a few forms back saying yes please. I managed the whole process with 3 e-mails and 1 phone call, and they're backdating overpayments due to the new band AND we're about to move house and seem to be the only ones in the area that's done this and find people think it's a real selling point

Maisie

Halloweenqueen . Seems wrong that you have to find out what your neighbours are banded at to know if you're on the right band.

Do as littlejaffa did and fight them. The 6 months rule seems really wrong.


Good luck Maisie OP