Challenging Council Tax.

[TeeDee]

Just about to Challenge the Council Tax Banding of My Property.

Trying to get it moved from E Band to D Band.

Council tax bands

Your house could be in the wrong council tax band. See how to check, challenge your banding and possibly get a rebate of £1,000s with Money Saving Expert.

www.moneysavingexpert.com

Anyone tried this with or without success.?

 

[slowworm]

Yes, I challenged the banding on a house I bought about 20 years ago and got it moved into a cheaper band. The council initially tried to dismiss my application but after some persistence they agreed mainly because the house had no central heating IIRC.

I thought about it in a more recent house but was put of by the threatening behaviour of the council as it was in a road and they threaten they may keep your band and raise the band of your neighbours.

As your link warns, they may raise your band depending on valuation. If your house is fairly unique valuations seem to fairly random and now houses in the country are more valuable than a few months back.

 

[TeeDee]

Yes, I challenged the banding on a house I bought about 20 years ago and got it moved into a cheaper band. The council initially tried to dismiss my application but after some persistence they agreed mainly because the house had no central heating IIRC.

I thought about it in a more recent house but was put of by the threatening behaviour of the council as it was in a road and they threaten they may keep your band and raise the band of your neighbours.

As your link warns, they may raise your band depending on valuation. If your house is fairly unique valuations seem to fairly random and now houses in the country are more valuable than a few months back.

Thanks.

Did you thus get the Rebate due to you?

I feel justified in applying for it from doing some DD and looking at the other properties in the area.

 

[slowworm]

In the first case I applied shortly after buying the property so we just ended up paying the lower council tax rate.

How have you valued your current property, if you don't mind me asking?

It's almost impossible to value our current property as it's fairly unique and has a few acres of woodland and a couple of acres of fields. The house is run down so you get a huge variation in valuations.

 

[TeeDee]

Here , you can take a stab at the current price then sort of reverse engineer it to the date Council Tax Bands were set.

House price index | Nationwide

Nationwide’s house price index lets you find out how the value of your property has changed over time.

www.nationwide.co.uk

My current Banding is E for a Two Bed Bungalow on a decent plot.
Neighbours adjacent are Also E - Another Bungalow which im guessing is either 1/2 bed.
Property behind us are also E , detached property so again guessing at 2/3 bedrooms.

The next closest properties are 4 Terraced cottages all Banded as B.

There seems to be no C or D in the area which is making me think the original banding maybe out by One Banding.

 

[slowworm]

I think that sort of historical data and working out mostly applies to rows of similar houses or if your house has sold several times in the last few decades. If it's more of a one off then valuations seem to be more pot luck.

 

[TeeDee]

I think that sort of historical data and working out mostly applies to rows of similar houses or if your house has sold several times in the last few decades. If it's more of a one off then valuations seem to be more pot luck.

Previous owners of my property were in situa for the Last 30 Years.

I think my case is worth challenging. I've done the research I Think the price back in 1991 should have been 10 k under the current Banding.

 

[Paul_B]

You do hear of challenges going wrong. In one case I read about one house was a higher band than all the rest in the next street despite them being basically the same house design. He tried to lower his through appeal and it ended up in with the council realising the other houses were under valued. They all got bumped up to the higher band the original appellant had. Apparently it created an almost pitch fork and torch wielding mob to try and find the so and so that caused their increase. Needless to say nobody owned up.

However I suspect that's a council created story to deter most people. However there is a law of unintended consequences. You need to get good advice and know what you're talking about. I don't think a few evenings googling of Rightmove's historic house prices and Nationwide house price calculator is enough to claim.

I'm sure the OP will have done more homework and taken advice other than internet forums before making his appeal. It's a one good shot thing I reckon

I've never done it myself. I've only lived in a house which was the same banding as all the other houses around it since they're all similar terraced houses with similar house prices. We're in the process of moving, one we find out house and our house sale as finalised, to an area where house prices are higher than other areas. Where we are going our current house would be at least one band probably two higher. We could get 4 bed semi cheaper than 2 bed houses or bungalows where we're going. This all reflects into the banding. We're expecting to pay double the council tax where we're moving to. Perhaps we should look at tax banding too???

 

[TeeDee]

You do hear of challenges going wrong. In one case I read about one house was a higher band than all the rest in the next street despite them being basically the same house design. He tried to lower his through appeal and it ended up in with the council realising the other houses were under valued. They all got bumped up to the higher band the original appellant had. Apparently it created an almost pitch fork and torch wielding mob to try and find the so and so that caused their increase. Needless to say nobody owned up.

However I suspect that's a council created story to deter most people. However there is a law of unintended consequences. You need to get good advice and know what you're talking about. I don't think a few evenings googling of Rightmove's historic house prices and Nationwide house price calculator is enough to claim.

I'm sure the OP will have done more homework and taken advice other than internet forums before making his appeal. It's a one good shot thing I reckon

I've never done it myself. I've only lived in a house which was the same banding as all the other houses around it since they're all similar terraced houses with similar house prices. We're in the process of moving, one we find out house and our house sale as finalised, to an area where house prices are higher than other areas. Where we are going our current house would be at least one band probably two higher. We could get 4 bed semi cheaper than 2 bed houses or bungalows where we're going. This all reflects into the banding. We're expecting to pay double the council tax where we're moving to. Perhaps we should look at tax banding too???

I have indeed done more than a few hours googling and think I'm in a strong position to question the situation.
As mentioned I can find no properties in the Band of C & D , so the theoretical jump from B to E seems Mahooossive.

I'm as planning to extend this property I'm rather keen to to get it lowered and as Its in a Rural area I'm not exactly sure what services my Council Tax is supposed to be paying for. We don't even have a street light.

 

[Paul_B]

That sounds good. Only pointing things out I've heard or read about this. I wish you luck with this, not that you'll need it as I no suspect you've worked on a good argument/case for this. I will be interested in hearing how you got on with it once all settled. I'm sure others will be too.

There's something about council tax that people don't like I reckon. Kind of missing some of the value in it. I often wonder if there isn't a better way of raising local funds such was something with a income based element. Taxation based on property value doesn't seem a good method on its own.

 

[Broch]

I looked into it but backed off. We're in a higher band than I think we should have been but as I've 'improved' the property there is a real danger it could go up if I appealed.

I agree though, what has house value got to do with load on the council services? Surely, a fair system would be to base the tax on the drain on council resources - and that can only be the number of people living in a house. That would mean and old couple, who's kids have left, won't be paying high taxes or have to move out of their home.

We have no mains water, no gas, no waste drainage and I have to take my rubbish about 400m down the hill for it to be collected. We produce far less waste and recycling than a family. The road past the house is adopted but not maintained and the verges aren't cut. I'm not really sure what I'm paying for other than a police force and a fire service (both worth paying towards I admit).

As for street lights, I'd pay to have then removed if I lived in a village

 

[TeeDee]

I looked into it but backed off. We're in a higher band than I think we should have been but as I've 'improved' the property there is a real danger it could go up if I appealed.

Yep - that would be counter useful post improvements.

As for street lights, I'd pay to have then removed if I lived in a village

A shy Pilgrim...

 

[slowworm]

I looked into it but backed off. We're in a higher band than I think we should have been but as I've 'improved' the property there is a real danger it could go up if I appealed.

I agree though, what has house value got to do with load on the council services? Surely, a fair system would be to base the tax on the drain on council resources - and that can only be the number of people living in a house. That would mean and old couple, who's kids have left, won't be paying high taxes or have to move out of their home.

We have no mains water, no gas, no waste drainage and I have to take my rubbish about 400m down the hill for it to be collected. We produce far less waste and recycling than a family. The road past the house is adopted but not maintained and the verges aren't cut. I'm not really sure what I'm paying for other than a police force and a fire service (both worth paying towards I admit).

Do they not try and value the property at the time it would have been valued for council tax? I.e. recent additions wouldn't matter?

We're similar to others, in a high band but get little, if any services.

 

[Paul_B]

There's a valuation date so I assume they value it today then backdate it based on house price inflation in your area.

The idea is that the higher value of your house relative to your area then the more you're likely to be able to pay? For example richer people tend to have more expensive houses so pay more. Those with below national average house prices pay a lower tax. Of course some people put money into their property but others put money into their leisure and fun. The former pay more tax relative to their earnings, the latter has a lower value house so pay less even though they might be earning the same as the former.

IMHO it's a very poorly targeted way to spread the council bill among the population according to ability to pay criteria. Perhaps income tax might work out better IF it's able to close out any dodges available to people with more money like the simple overpayment info pensions and the more aggressive tax dodges that allow some people to pay just 10% of actual household income in taxes.

Whatever you do there'll be winners and losers in the scheme. Two things are certain , death and taxes! Lol