Neighbours lose battle to keep lower council tax band
Houses in Carnbee Park, Liberton, were supposed to be in "Band F" when they were built in 1997, but a slip-up listed Agi Holland's home and Alan Sutherland's property in the cheaper "Band E".
When Lothian's assessor noticed the mistake, the neighbours' homes were shifted to the higher band – but they successfully challenged the move.
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Hide AdThe assessor then went to the Court of Session in Edinburgh and, in a rare decision, a judge overturned the Valuation Appeal Committee's decision.
Lord Gill, in a written ruling issued today, noted: "In the normal case it is not for this court to disturb findings made by a Valuation Appeal Committee."
But, said the judge, in this case they had "seriously erred".
Wrongly entering the band was a straightforward mistake as all the houses should have been in the same band.