We now have it on good authority that the council tax records CAN be altered and back dated. So an illegal conversion can look legit if you check online with the VOA.
This is achieved by the developers contacting the council tax dept, claiming that they've had the buildings banding incorrect for a number of years.
All they have to do is back pay the excess council tax owing on five bedsits units and hey presto the council tax VOA looks like you've had five flats for a number of years!
Planning enforcement are onto this new tactic and the council tax dept are also supposedly aware of this new type of fraud.
So if anyone has encountered this VOA discrepancy recently re report the suspect property to the planning enforcement officers and they will contact the council tax department to get the full history on the property including any recent alterations to the VOA database. (Something the council tax department may be reluctant to do for general members of the public)
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