Home Page Contents
Introduction
The Carlisle Case - Pennine View and Pennine View Close Carlisle (summary)
The Lowestoft Case - Crestview Drive Lowestoft (summary)
Valuation Office Agency covers up Council Tax band errors
The Adjudicator, Barbara Mills, criticised and discredited by High Court
References
Introduction
This document sets out to show how incompetent Valuation Office Agency staff neglect to correct errors in the Valuation List (Council Tax List); the shenanigans they use to conceal their mistakes; the dilatory manner they deal with complaints; and their reluctance to enforce their statutory duty to maintain the Council Tax List.
It will also show how the Adjudicator, Barbara Mills (criticised and discredited by the High Court), disregards the rules of natural justice, conceals incriminating evidence, misrepresents facts, and upholds the actions of inept Valuation Office staff.
The Carlisle Case - Pennine View and Pennine View Close Carlisle (summary)
This case concerns a new estate built between 2001 and 2003. The Valuation Office Agency made a complete mess of the Council Tax (CT) bands of the estate. 47 of the 66 houses and bungalows were put in the wrong band.
Inept Valuation Office staff put adjacent identical properties in different bands; adjacent identical bungalows were in band B and D; adjacent identical houses in band C and D. The most expensive 4 and 5 bedroom houses were in band C, a lower band than the less expensive 3 bedroom houses, and the same band as the least expensive 2 bedroom bungalows. An idiot had assessed the Council Tax bands of the estate.
When a resident notified the Carlisle Valuation Office of the obvious errors and inconsistencies in the Council Tax bands, the VOA ignored the evidence submitted, and took no substantive action to rectify the anomalies for over 5 months. The resident had to pursue a complaint to the Valuation Office's Chief Executive before the bungling officers at Carlisle Valuation Office amended the errors in the Council Tax List. Initially, the officers failed to correct all the inconsistencies and had to alter the bands of 2 further properties after the resident told them of their error. It took 8 months to complete a review of 66 properties, but there were only 11 different property types.
Of the 66 houses and bungalows, 71% were in the wrong band. The Valuation Office reduced the band of 38 properties, increased the band of 9 properties (some by 2 bands), and 19 remained unchanged.
The Adjudicator, Barbara Mills, (who was criticised and discredited by the High Court for perverse and flawed decisions) disregarded the rules of natural justice and denied the complainant the opportunity to comment on the Valuation Office's evidence, deliberately misrepresented the facts, and wilfully concealed incriminating evidence.
The Adjudicator comes to the absurd, perverse, irrational, and unhinged decision that the Valuation Office's Code of Practice on complaints does not apply to the complainant, and upholds the dilatory actions and malpractices of inept VOA staff.
In 1992 it took 8 months to complete the Council Tax banding of 22 million residential properties in England, of which approximately 1/3 were undertaken by the Valuation Office Agency. In 2008, the Carlisle Valuation Office took the same time to review the bands of 66 properties. The Adjudicator considered this to be reasonable. That just about sums up her perverse and flawed decisions.
To read the full story click here.
The Lowestoft Case - Crestview Drive Lowestoft (summary)
This long running case has involved senior officials of the Valuation Office Agency, Valuation Tribunals, the Adjudicator, Bob Blizzard MP, the Parliamentary Ombudsman, and Ministers. It an episode in the history of the VOA they should be ashamed of. But the VOA still haven't learnt their lesson.
Two years after the introduction of Council Tax, the VOA notified a number of the residents that the Council Tax band of their properties were incorrect, and would be increased from band B to C. A year later, the VOA then informed some of those same residents that band C was incorrect, and the Council Tax band would be increased to band D.
Residents discovered that similar or identical bungalow types were in different Council Tax bands and there was no consistency in the banding over the whole estate.
A Director of the VOA admitted in a letter: it is with very much regret that I have to agree with your comment that the VO has made a complete shambles of banding the properties in Crestview Drive.
Eight years later, the VOA made derisory ex gratia payments to some residents as compensation for the errors they made.
To read the full story click here.
Valuation Office Agency covers up Council Tax band errors
Eric Pickles (the Conservative MP for Brentwood & Ongar) has exposed how the Valuation Office Agency and the government deliberately covered up known errors in Council Tax bands.
Minutes of the Valuation Office Agency's Council Tax Revaluation Programme Board of 22 November 2005 revealed the cover up. Parts of the minutes were blacked out (redacted) with a note indicating an ongoing policy issue. But bungling officiers at the VOA had failed to blackout the text properly, and so the full text was revealed.
The blacked out text revealed the following:
MJ questioned what action should be taken by Groups on consequentials identified following data enhancement. Concern was expressed about the possible knock on implications for billing authorities and adverse press coverage this could generate in the current climate. Action Point – TE to establish potential numbers involved with GVOs. Action will then be agreed with ODPM and Ministers”. (This item has been redacted, as it remains an ongoing policy issue).
The word consequentials is a euphemism for errors in the Council Tax List. Further data from the revaluation programme had identified mistakes in the Council Tax List. VOA Board members were concerned about the financial implications of this on councils and adverse press coverage. Councils would have to pay substantial backdated Council Tax refunds if properties were in too high a band, or if the band were too low, households would be faced with an unpopular Council Tax increase. The VOA were more concerned with adverse press coverage than correcting their mistakes.
The government and VOA tried to cover up known errors in the Council Tax List and deliberately tried to conceal the fact by falsely referring to it as an ongoing policy issue.
The Valuation Office Agency has a statutory duty to compile and maintain the Council Tax List (section 22 of Local Government Finance Act 1992), and that duty includes the responsibility to correct any errors in the List. The VOA website states:
The Valuation Office Agency is committed to ensuring that all homes are in the correct council tax band.
This statement is a sham. The VOA knowingly conceal errors in the Council Tax List, are reluctant to any correct errors, and are more concerned about bad publicity and the financial effect on councils.
To read the full story click here.
The Adjudicator, Barbara Mills, criticised and discredited by High Court
As Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Barbara Mills, resigned after being criticised by the High Court for repeatedly failing to justify decisions not to prosecute police officers over deaths in police custody in 3 separate cases (Lapite, O’Brien and Treadaway).
In 1997 Lord Justice Rose said that Barbara Mills of the CPS made flawed decisions not to prosecute four ex-members of the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad who allegedly handcuffed a suspect and put a plastic bag over his head to gain a confession.
The High Court ruling said the way the decision was reached was a breach of the department's Code for Crown Prosecutors and was perverse and flawed by failing to give reasons.
The High Court said Barbara Mills should reconsider the case. This was the third occasion within a week in which the Court has questioned the way the DPP has handled allegations of police violence.
The Adjudicator, Barbara Mills, who was criticised and discredited by the High Court when DPP, continues today to make perverse, irrational, unhinged and flawed decisions.
To read the full story click here.
Introduction
The Carlisle Case - Pennine View and Pennine View Close Carlisle (summary)
The Lowestoft Case - Crestview Drive Lowestoft (summary)
Valuation Office Agency covers up Council Tax band errors
The Adjudicator, Barbara Mills, criticised and discredited by High Court
References
Introduction
This document sets out to show how incompetent Valuation Office Agency staff neglect to correct errors in the Valuation List (Council Tax List); the shenanigans they use to conceal their mistakes; the dilatory manner they deal with complaints; and their reluctance to enforce their statutory duty to maintain the Council Tax List.
It will also show how the Adjudicator, Barbara Mills (criticised and discredited by the High Court), disregards the rules of natural justice, conceals incriminating evidence, misrepresents facts, and upholds the actions of inept Valuation Office staff.
The Carlisle Case - Pennine View and Pennine View Close Carlisle (summary)
This case concerns a new estate built between 2001 and 2003. The Valuation Office Agency made a complete mess of the Council Tax (CT) bands of the estate. 47 of the 66 houses and bungalows were put in the wrong band.
Inept Valuation Office staff put adjacent identical properties in different bands; adjacent identical bungalows were in band B and D; adjacent identical houses in band C and D. The most expensive 4 and 5 bedroom houses were in band C, a lower band than the less expensive 3 bedroom houses, and the same band as the least expensive 2 bedroom bungalows. An idiot had assessed the Council Tax bands of the estate.
When a resident notified the Carlisle Valuation Office of the obvious errors and inconsistencies in the Council Tax bands, the VOA ignored the evidence submitted, and took no substantive action to rectify the anomalies for over 5 months. The resident had to pursue a complaint to the Valuation Office's Chief Executive before the bungling officers at Carlisle Valuation Office amended the errors in the Council Tax List. Initially, the officers failed to correct all the inconsistencies and had to alter the bands of 2 further properties after the resident told them of their error. It took 8 months to complete a review of 66 properties, but there were only 11 different property types.
Of the 66 houses and bungalows, 71% were in the wrong band. The Valuation Office reduced the band of 38 properties, increased the band of 9 properties (some by 2 bands), and 19 remained unchanged.
The Adjudicator, Barbara Mills, (who was criticised and discredited by the High Court for perverse and flawed decisions) disregarded the rules of natural justice and denied the complainant the opportunity to comment on the Valuation Office's evidence, deliberately misrepresented the facts, and wilfully concealed incriminating evidence.
The Adjudicator comes to the absurd, perverse, irrational, and unhinged decision that the Valuation Office's Code of Practice on complaints does not apply to the complainant, and upholds the dilatory actions and malpractices of inept VOA staff.
In 1992 it took 8 months to complete the Council Tax banding of 22 million residential properties in England, of which approximately 1/3 were undertaken by the Valuation Office Agency. In 2008, the Carlisle Valuation Office took the same time to review the bands of 66 properties. The Adjudicator considered this to be reasonable. That just about sums up her perverse and flawed decisions.
To read the full story click here.
The Lowestoft Case - Crestview Drive Lowestoft (summary)
This long running case has involved senior officials of the Valuation Office Agency, Valuation Tribunals, the Adjudicator, Bob Blizzard MP, the Parliamentary Ombudsman, and Ministers. It an episode in the history of the VOA they should be ashamed of. But the VOA still haven't learnt their lesson.
Two years after the introduction of Council Tax, the VOA notified a number of the residents that the Council Tax band of their properties were incorrect, and would be increased from band B to C. A year later, the VOA then informed some of those same residents that band C was incorrect, and the Council Tax band would be increased to band D.
Residents discovered that similar or identical bungalow types were in different Council Tax bands and there was no consistency in the banding over the whole estate.
A Director of the VOA admitted in a letter: it is with very much regret that I have to agree with your comment that the VO has made a complete shambles of banding the properties in Crestview Drive.
Eight years later, the VOA made derisory ex gratia payments to some residents as compensation for the errors they made.
To read the full story click here.
Valuation Office Agency covers up Council Tax band errors
Eric Pickles (the Conservative MP for Brentwood & Ongar) has exposed how the Valuation Office Agency and the government deliberately covered up known errors in Council Tax bands.
Minutes of the Valuation Office Agency's Council Tax Revaluation Programme Board of 22 November 2005 revealed the cover up. Parts of the minutes were blacked out (redacted) with a note indicating an ongoing policy issue. But bungling officiers at the VOA had failed to blackout the text properly, and so the full text was revealed.
The blacked out text revealed the following:
MJ questioned what action should be taken by Groups on consequentials identified following data enhancement. Concern was expressed about the possible knock on implications for billing authorities and adverse press coverage this could generate in the current climate. Action Point – TE to establish potential numbers involved with GVOs. Action will then be agreed with ODPM and Ministers”. (This item has been redacted, as it remains an ongoing policy issue).
The word consequentials is a euphemism for errors in the Council Tax List. Further data from the revaluation programme had identified mistakes in the Council Tax List. VOA Board members were concerned about the financial implications of this on councils and adverse press coverage. Councils would have to pay substantial backdated Council Tax refunds if properties were in too high a band, or if the band were too low, households would be faced with an unpopular Council Tax increase. The VOA were more concerned with adverse press coverage than correcting their mistakes.
The government and VOA tried to cover up known errors in the Council Tax List and deliberately tried to conceal the fact by falsely referring to it as an ongoing policy issue.
The Valuation Office Agency has a statutory duty to compile and maintain the Council Tax List (section 22 of Local Government Finance Act 1992), and that duty includes the responsibility to correct any errors in the List. The VOA website states:
The Valuation Office Agency is committed to ensuring that all homes are in the correct council tax band.
This statement is a sham. The VOA knowingly conceal errors in the Council Tax List, are reluctant to any correct errors, and are more concerned about bad publicity and the financial effect on councils.
To read the full story click here.
The Adjudicator, Barbara Mills, criticised and discredited by High Court
As Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Barbara Mills, resigned after being criticised by the High Court for repeatedly failing to justify decisions not to prosecute police officers over deaths in police custody in 3 separate cases (Lapite, O’Brien and Treadaway).
In 1997 Lord Justice Rose said that Barbara Mills of the CPS made flawed decisions not to prosecute four ex-members of the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad who allegedly handcuffed a suspect and put a plastic bag over his head to gain a confession.
The High Court ruling said the way the decision was reached was a breach of the department's Code for Crown Prosecutors and was perverse and flawed by failing to give reasons.
The High Court said Barbara Mills should reconsider the case. This was the third occasion within a week in which the Court has questioned the way the DPP has handled allegations of police violence.
The Adjudicator, Barbara Mills, who was criticised and discredited by the High Court when DPP, continues today to make perverse, irrational, unhinged and flawed decisions.
To read the full story click here.
References
