Have you received your 2009/10 rates demand?

• Intex House, Canterbury.
  Empty rates (100% occupied charge) were being charged on a vacant first floor warehouse. It was assessed at £57,000 Rateable Value.
  
  We confirmed with Local Charging Authority that the property had been re-occupied for six weeks followed by re-vacation thus securing a further six months empty rates period saving our client a further £13,200 in rate liability
  
  There's more! Following a re-survey and a successful business rate appeal, that assessment has been reduced to £14,500 Rateable Value which means it is now exempt from empty rates from 1 April 2009 altogether!

Here are two recent examples:

• Mallards Reach Maidenhead. Here the client was building a big extension to their own property and in doing so they lost valuable car parking and occupation of a part of their buildings. As a consequence, we were able to maximise the disability allowance for nuisance caused by building works. We reduced their rateable value by 27% for the duration of the works, which were backdated to November 2007 and are still ongoing!
• High Street Orpington. On a more generalised argument, the removal of a public car park serving the High Street was a physical and detrimental change to the locality which allowed us to negotiate a temporary allowances of between 12.5% to 17.5% for effected properties.

Here are two recent examples:

• Wallbrook Business Centre Green Lane Hounslow. We merged the ground floor and 1st floor into one assessment and saved the client 15% in rate value backdated to June 2006.
• Molly Millars Lane Wokingham. We merged two adjacent properties into one assessment and saved the client 18% in rateable value backdated to July 2008.

Here are two recent examples:

• Goods Yard Totteridge London N20. We successfully deleted these redundant and dilapidated industrial premises from the 2005 Rating List, saving the client an empty rates charge of over £60,000 in rate liability.
• "Megatron" Alconbury Huntingdon. Here we successfully argued that a redundant restaurant (in the shape of a flying saucer) should be removed from the rating list as it could be shown there was no demand for this type of property. This saved the client over £70,000 in rate liability.

The fee percentage is agreed at the initial meeting, once we know all the facts and have assessed the savings' potential of the premises. We confirm everything in writing and send you an instruction form for your signature.

Additional appeals for extra work to gain further reductions in rates liability, for example: temporary reductions due to building or road works, transitional certificates or back dating of appeals etc., that generate additional financial savings - would be billed at 25% of the total savings.

All fees are exclusive of VAT and out of pocket expenses. The above fees do not cover representations to the Valuation Tribunal or to the Lands Tribunal. We always agree your approval beforehand of additional fees.

Complaints Procedure
In accordance with RICS Conduct Regulations, you can request a copy of our complaint procedure at any of our offices.