Council Tax Cost Cutting: reduce your band and grab any discounts Discussion Area
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Hi, thanks for the reply, I used a 0.2km radius as VOA asked for properties in the near vicinity. To extend this out would put me in a different area for banding purposes and larger properties. Frankly I feel VOA are being obstructive and have offered no help what so ever. I was interested in the article remark that VOA would advise how the original band was determined, they certainly have not done that.
The 3 bed semi bungalows, I used for comparison, are quite small and are generally grouped in an area of predominantly retired people. I may have to get an estate agent to value the property and then extrapolate back to get an approx. 1991 value, not certain if VOA would accept this though. Is it usual that any correspondence from VOA is not referenced or signed by an individual?0 -
Many thanks to you both. Don't ever remember seeing the date of the last sale mentioned before. Makes the utter confusion about values more understandable, how can you match any property if you rank it different ways.
Bands are always based on levels of value as at 1 April 1991, whenever the dwelling was built or last soldIf you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales0 -
Hi, thanks for the reply, I used a 0.2km radius as VOA asked for properties in the near vicinity. To extend this out would put me in a different area for banding purposes and larger properties. Frankly I feel VOA are being obstructive and have offered no help what so ever. I was interested in the article remark that VOA would advise how the original band was determined, they certainly have not done that.
The 3 bed semi bungalows, I used for comparison, are quite small and are generally grouped in an area of predominantly retired people. I may have to get an estate agent to value the property and then extrapolate back to get an approx. 1991 value, not certain if VOA would accept this though. Is it usual that any correspondence from VOA is not referenced or signed by an individual?
The current VOA policy appears to be that if a Council Taxpayer wants a band review, they have to provide evidence to support their claim. The VOA will not help CT payers find such evidence, it is not their job.
Getting a current valuation from an estate agent and extrapolating back to 1991 would not be convincing evidence for the VOA. It would at best give a very rough idea of the value in 1991.
It is quite probable that some correspondence, especially "stock letters" will not be signed by an individual.If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales0 -
Just found Advice on council tax rebranding. It appears that I am in the wrong band.
Firstly went to the Scottish Assessors Website] but have also experienced same problem, the six month rule. There now appears no way forward?
Please help:(0 -
Just found Advice on council tax rebranding. It appears that I am in the wrong band.
Firstly went to the Scottish Assessors Website] but have also experienced same problem, the six month rule. There now appears no way forward?
Please help:(
Tell the Assessor why you think your band is incorrect and ask them to investigate it.If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales0 -
I am looking into the council tax band for my mother's house. I have looked at valuations on similar houses sold recently and used the calculator to get a rough value at 1991 and it was comfortably under £27,000 yet we are in band B. I know you can't use this as evidence when asking for a review so I looked out the state for settlement from when my mother and late father purchased the house in 1991.
The problem is that they bought the house under the right to buy scheme so the price shown on the state for settlement is the discounted price and I was wondering if there was a way of finding out what the discount rate was at that time. I did a bit of research and have come up with a figure of around 33% or 34% but I am wary of relying on this as it was essentially a google search and I want to ensure I have as close to the right figures as possible. I can't go back to the solicitor who handled the sale as the company is dissolved now so does anyone have any ideas? Is it worth writing to my council?
The house is in Scotland if that helps.
Thanks.
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I am looking into the council tax band for my mother's house. I have looked at valuations on similar houses sold recently and used the calculator to get a rough value at 1991 and it was comfortably under £27,000 yet we are in band B. I know you can't use this as evidence when asking for a review so I looked out the state for settlement from when my mother and late father purchased the house in 1991.
The problem is that they bought the house under the right to buy scheme so the price shown on the state for settlement is the discounted price and I was wondering if there was a way of finding out what the discount rate was at that time. I did a bit of research and have come up with a figure of around 33% or 34% but I am wary of relying on this as it was essentially a google search and I want to ensure I have as close to the right figures as possible. I can't go back to the solicitor who handled the sale as the company is dissolved now so does anyone have any ideas? Is it worth writing to my council?
The house is in Scotland if that helps.
Thanks.
What exactly is "comfortably under £27,000"? I don't know how accurate house price indices are for Scotland, but they are too inaccurate in England to be useful for making a case for a lower CT band.
RTB valuations will ignore tenants' improvements and will not necessarily reflect a true market value prior to the discount being applied. Your mother can write to the council and ask them the amount discount applicable at the time in their case. The Assessor may or may not accept this method of trying to ascertain the 1991 value.
Finally are other similar council houses in Band B. If so you will probably have an uphill struggle trying to persuade the Assessor that Band B is wrong.If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales0 -
Well I had a go at phoning the council and they were able to confirm the value when the houses were sold before discounts and the was £28,000 so that does indeed push us into band B.
Someone in 2016 sold a house that was similar to ours for around £55,000 and, when I used the Nationwide calculator, this showed a 1991 value of £18,000 so there is quite a disparity. There was no way I would have gone to the assessor with that amount and that was why I wanted to see if I could get a more accurate value.
The others round about me were band B but my thinking was if someone just drove by and made a rough and wrong valuation that would be applied to all similar houses.
I'm glad I tried nonetheless, at least we know now. 0 -
I'm looking for help please, I'm looking into the council banding for my mum on her small one bedroom bungalow that has been banded a band C (Bristol) I've search zoopla and right move house prices for the bungalows and houses nearby using the nationwide calculator it appears that the bungalow prices for 1991 would have been valued around 45k whilst the 3 bed house nearby banded B would have been over the 52k threshold for band B. I can't understand why small bungalow are in C and the houses in B but not a reason for them to access and re band. I've found one bungalow in the next road built by same builder identical to the terrace of bungalows my mum is in that is band B all the others are band C. Still not enough to re check the banding. My mum and dad (now deceased) bought the bungalow in 1988 so I have the details of what they paid. The response I've got is that they want proof of what one of the bungalows sold for between 1989 and 1993 2 years either side.
My question does anyone know where I can find out which if any of the bungalows were sold during these years and how I can find out at what price? Many thanks0 -
Well I had a go at phoning the council and they were able to confirm the value when the houses were sold before discounts and the was £28,000 so that does indeed push us into band B.
Someone in 2016 sold a house that was similar to ours for around £55,000 and, when I used the Nationwide calculator, this showed a 1991 value of £18,000 so there is quite a disparity.
£55K sounds suspiciously low for a sale 2 yrs ago. An actual 1991 valuation is more credible than using a sale 25 years later and trying to work back to a 1991 figure.If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales0
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