council tax advice?

[Sir Bronking]

just received council tax bill:mad:

the question i'm asking is, has anybody queried there's in an attempt to get a lower banding. the reason i ask is as follows

the house i live in (bought 4-5 months ago) is in band E which according to figures on the bill meant it would have been valued in 1991 at between £88,000 - £120,000. the average house has increased 160% in that time which by my calculate would give a price of between £228,800 -£312,000.
being as i bought this house for £205,000 4-5 months ago (it was built in 1978, but i don't believe it has had any modifications in that time for eg no double glazing or whatever, i believe i'm in the wrong band (not musically ). so......
has anybody ever looked into reducing there bill in these circumstances?

another benefit would be lower water rate, being as there are only 2 of us living here would be more appropriate

 

[rolfw]

There is an appeal process, you probably cannot lose by looking into it. With regard to water charges, get yourself a meter, you should benefit with only two of you, unless the other half is a mermaid. ;)

 

[_stu_]

I've done it and managed to get my banding reduced from C to B. If you have just moved into a property you have 6 months to start an appeal process - the local valuation officer will contact you and probably try to persuade you to drop the appeal - if you refuse you will then go to a tribunal where you will have an opportunity to argue your case.

You can find more information and a link to start the appeal process here:

http://www.voa.gov.uk/council_tax/can_i_appeal.htm

 

[gameboy]

Just beware - they could increase it!

 

[Sir Bronking]

I've done it and managed to get my banding reduced from C to B. If you have just moved into a property you have 6 months to start an appeal process - the local valuation officer will contact you and probably try to persuade you to drop the appeal - if you refuse you will then go to a tribunal where you will have an opportunity to argue your case.

You can find more information and a link to start the appeal process here:

http://www.voa.gov.uk/council_tax/can_i_appeal.htm

update:
just got off the phone, (to what seemed a nice chap) valuation officer expressing my concern he took my details and said he'd look into it and i would hear in about a month's time, will keep you posted of any development's.

Just beware - they could increase it!

i'll take that chance as i've looked into and found website where you can see what other's are paying in your area/postcode and were the only one's in the E band, and there are more pricey properties, next door but one has just gone on the market for £289,000 and there in band D
go figure!

btw how do you put more than one quote in reply, (i couldn't add gameboys, because i don't know how!

 

[BarMoo]

btw how do you put more than one quote in reply, (i couldn't add gameboys, because i don't know how!

Well you did manage two quotes in your last post; which is neither a 'post reply' or 'quote reply' AFAIK - so you know what to do.

The easiest way for multiple quoted texts that I have found is to create a quote enclosure from the toolbar (same line as the url, email, image link thing above the current posting typing area, in the outer grey field) It doesn't do a name, but you can add that by adding "=username" after the opening [quote..] tag.

To access the entire thread responses - you know you can just scroll down to see all posts. Then just copy/paste.

Does that help?

Mark.

 

[Sir Bronking]

mark that does help

btw, when i did the post (with 2 quotes in ?) it didn't look like it does now,
i think it has something to do with the power's that be who have kindly corrected thing's for me rather like guardian angles
they do that alot (especially in my case )

and b4 they ask
this does not consitute a hyjack (title:council tax advice?)

 

[BarMoo]

Angels - bronks - angels ;)

Sometimes I have this problem - but a preview of my post usually sorts that out.

Anyway, how can you hijack a thread you started?

Mark.

 

[Sir Bronking]

Angels - bronks - angels ;)

Sometimes I have this problem - but a preview of my post usually sorts that out.

Anyway, how can you hijack a thread you started?

Mark.

you read that much about angles on this site the fingers just auomatically typed it in!

i was just clarifying to the powers about hyjack

 

[BarMoo]

Just experienced it mate, no worries.

Mark.

 

[BGonaSTICK]

Is there anywhere to download a form to tell Gordon Brown to stick his £210 car tax bill up his arse?

 

[Channel Hopper]

Is there anywhere to download a form to tell Gordon Brown to stick his £210 car tax bill up his arse?

I have it on authority that a 4x4 if driven with enough vigour, can break the Downing St gates to reach the front door of No11.

(and as usual, whilst small cars are now treated as eco-friendly in this 'neo-green' government, motorcycles of all capacities and thirst are still taxed, and they dont recognise electric scooters from companies that imported into the UK more than four years ago as road legal.)

 

[RedDevil_UK]

getting back on track

im not happy with my council tax bill either

But seeing as ive had a rather large extension last year... by large i mean doubles the size of the house its a big fella lol

and.... my bill hasnt changed much... im keeping stum ;)

where is the web site with all the next door info etc.. id be interested what others are paying round here?

 

[BGonaSTICK]

Gordon's tax-gathering satellite is passing over your house right about now, and grabbing some pretty high-res images of your family bathroom. If he can't get quite a good enough look at your wife/girlfriend/daughter/houseguest on the khazi, then you will be forced to answer the door to the council-tax-band re-assessor (incrementor) who will then photograph the entire contents of your house and publish the photos on the Internet so that the neighbours can take the out of your wallpaper choice. :-bash

Technology comes at a frightening price I'm afraid.

 

[Sir Bronking]

Gordon's tax-gathering satellite is passing over your house right about now, and grabbing some pretty high-res images of your family bathroom. If he can't get quite a good enough look at your wife/girlfriend/daughter/houseguest on the khazi, then you will be forced to answer the door to the council-tax-band re-assessor (incrementor) who will then photograph the entire contents of your house and publish the photos on the Internet so that the neighbours can take the out of your wallpaper choice. :-bash

Technology comes at a frightening price I'm afraid.

red, see here

 

[RedDevil_UK]

Band review pending indicator
When a property is improved (e.g. an extension is built), legislation prevents the VOA from increasing the band code of that property until there is a “relevant transaction” or a general Council Tax Revaluation. The “relevant transaction” can be a change of ownership (including a right to buy purchase), or the granting of a lease for a term of seven years or more.

The indicator shows that a change has been made to the property, which has not yet been reflected in the band, so it may result in the band being increased when, for example, the property is next sold. Please note that transfers between spouses on divorce or an Inheritance Tax transfer of a share are not relevant transactions and do not, therefore, trigger a review of the appropriate Council Tax Banding.

So it looks like mine will go up at some point
they know all about me im afraid lol

 

[Channel Hopper]

Gordon's tax-gathering satellite is passing over your house right about now, and grabbing some pretty high-res images of your family bathroom. If he can't get quite a good enough look at your wife/girlfriend/daughter/houseguest on the khazi, then you will be forced to answer the door to the council-tax-band re-assessor (incrementor) who will then photograph the entire contents of your house and publish the photos on the Internet so that the neighbours can take the out of your wallpaper choice. :-bash

Technology comes at a frightening price I'm afraid.

I would have thought that with all the money Brown has creamed out of the public, they would have adopted Matrix style seekers, that can swim through the plumbing and shop you from behind the sink overflow.

 

[BGonaSTICK]

I'm sure that if there was any water left in the south east of England then they probably would have sent them over here by now.

Still just as well. No water, no waterborne diseases like typhoid.

Our council have thoughtfully set up a scheme whereby you can go to a standpipe at our local hospital and get a range of infectious diseases, including MRSA which they produce locally in the A&E department.

Phew, for a moment I thought I wasn't getting value for money out of my above-inflation council tax increase this year.

And talking about inflation, since when was an extra 4p duty on a bottle of wine 'keeping pace with inflation' exactly?!?!?! Do they mean that an extra 4p duty on the cost of (wine plus the massive amount of tax already ON wine) is in line with the rate of inflation?

Do they think we're mentally damaged or something?

'O'-red'O'-red'O'-red'O'-red'O'-red'O'-red'O'-red'O'-red'O'-red'O'-red'O'-red

Sun's out though!

Rant over for today... part 2 tomorrow

 

[Sir Bronking]

So it looks like mine will go up at some point
they know all about me im afraid lol

if they send you letters asking if everything's finished, so that they can update there record's, ignore them (until you put your house on market and you need certificate )