RESDIENTS of a Emmer Green complex are pushing for council tax justice, saying they are paying more than £1,000 than they believe they should.
Malcolm Geater lives with his wife Cecilia, both 89, at their retirement home in Lyefield Court, Emmer Green.
Properties in Lyefield Court were previously band C, but increased to band F – the third highest tax band – in February 1995.
Responsibility for council tax banding lies with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), with an appeal against the change made in 2008 was unsuccessful.
As a result all 39 properties in Lyefield Court & The Conifers must pay £3,419.68 in council, while a band C home would pay £2,104.42, a difference of £1,315.26.
Mr Geater said: “We’ve got one-and-a-half bedrooms, a small kitchen and bathroom, a lounge and a dining room, and we’re F, for a flat.”
They argue their top-floor retirement apartment is not the same as a typical band F properties, which have more bedrooms and could be semi-detached or detached.
Mrs Geater said: “There’s no comparison. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Tom Dyer, a director of Farmer & Dyer estate agents, said the high banding has had an impact on sales: “I’m selling detached houses and big three-bed semis with lower tax bands than that. It’s just so antiquated, we are talking two-bed flats.”
Mr Geater added: “There are places up in Caversham Heights that have four beds with land, it just doesn’t make sense. It’s all wrong.”
Along with the higher tax, which funds the council, police and fire service, residents of Lyefield Court & The Conifers pay a private service charge to Cognatum Estates, for the upkeep of a private road, maintenance and groundskeeping.
The Geater’s had received help from Simon Robinson, the Conservative councillor for Emmer Green, who lost his seat to Labour challenger Daya Pal Singh.
They have also appealed their case to Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading East.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has called on the VOA to visit Lyefield Court & The Conifers to conduct a re-assessment.
A spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on individual cases. We carefully consider various factors including a property’s size, character and location when determining the appropriate Council Tax band.
“Each valuation depends on the facts of the individual case.
“If someone thinks their Council Tax band is wrong, they may be able to challenge it.
“More information on the challenge process is available on GOV.UK.
“During a challenge, we use information from a wide range of sources. This means in most cases we can reach a decision without the need to inspect a property.”
