Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

Former_MSE_Archna
Former_MSE_Archna Posts: 1,903
First Post
Forumite
MSE Insert!

Forumite lanerideruk successfully reclaimed 19 years' worth of council tax - £2,400! Join and let us know what you've reclaimed too.

Read how to do it yourself:




This thread is especially for reporting your successes in getting your council tax rebanded plus refunds.


The aim is to show others that it works.

Please report your successes here, if possible in the format:

Local Borough Council:
Council Tax Band Before:
Council Tax Band After:
Amount refunded:
Annual saving going forward:

Plus if possible a few details on your experiences. IMPORTANT NOTE! This thread is only to report succcesses

Please note this thread is ONLY for reporting successes/experiences. It isn't for answering questions, discussing what to do, or postulating on the general issues; any posts of that nature will be deleted. If you want to do that please instead go to the Discussion on Council Tax Cost Cutting
«134567212

Comments

  • wardmw
    wardmw Posts: 8 Forumite
    Local Borough Council: Hillingdon, Middlesex.
    Council Tax Band Before: E
    Council Tax Band After: D
    Amount refunded: £1,700

    Thankfully it was simplicity itself to get this sorted out.

    Having looked in the council tax banding website I found out that my semi-detached was in band E whilst the semi-detached next door was in band C.
    Since the maisonettes on the other side of my house were also band C I figured there was an issue. It took about four phone calls to find the right group to speak to, but once I did they were very helpful. They explained roughly how long it would take (four to six weeks) and how I would be notified (by letter).

    In about five weeks I got a letter explaining that my house was being re-banded to D and a small leaflet explaining that if I owed them money I would have to pay it straight away, but no mention was made of if they owed me. I telephoned them to discuss it and was told that the cheque was in the post, and lo' and behold a couple of days later it appeared!

    Thanks Hillingdon for the cash and thanks Martin for the information!

    |\/|artin
  • JaneAire
    JaneAire Posts: 17 Forumite
    Leeds
    Band B
    Band A

    In 2004 I got moved from band B to A, from £693 to £675, which doesnt sound like a lot! but I think it might be because it was changed when the new rates were issued.
    Anyway it made a difference as this year I am paying 753 instead of 879 so overall I have saved a few hundred pounds. The whole process was easy and settled in about a month, I wrote to them in May and got the change agreed in June. I didnt get a refund but I'd only been living there a few months so it wouldn't have been much.
    It all happened pretty smoothly. What annoyed me is that I only found out it was possible because my neighbours told me it was possible, because they had experience of being in the wrong band but found out too late to get it changed.
    Mine is a small one bed flat over a shop so it was obviously wrong, especially when the next door, bigger flat was in the lower band already.

    Just proves that its always worth being nice to your neighbours, you never know what you might find out.
  • rekojem
    rekojem Posts: 12 Forumite
    Local Borough Council: Surrey Heath
    Council Tax Band Before: E
    Council Tax Band After: D
    Amount refunded: 900

    Thanks Martin.
    I assumed when I moved into my Property in 2004 that it was in the same band as my other neighbours as they are all similar.
    When I read your article and found the link to show that I was in a higher band I filled in the online form and waited. I assumed that as it was over 6 months since I moved in there was little chance of a rebate.
    Within 2 weeks I had a letter from the Valuation office saying they had an obligation to reassess and may require a visit.
    3 weeks later (no visit) I have had my band changed form E to D and a rebate from the council for about £900.

    Good Result for very little effort.
  • I have been told that because I have been in my house for over 6 months, I am not entitled to a re-evalutation (St Albans District) - When I spoke to my local VOA office, they have said that they will look into it as I was not informed of this banding when I bought the house and as I was a first time buyer, how was I to know these things? Think that solicitors should inform buyers of this. Am waiting for a response now - will probably be 4-6 weeks. Will keep you posted
  • Local Borough Council: Winchester, Hampshire
    Council Tax Band Before: E
    Council Tax Band After: D
    Amount refunded: nil

    We moved into a house that was originally built as it is, but joined with next door in 2001 and resplit last year. They were originally D and when the split was done it was upped to an E. I decided to appeal to see why this was, as the other houses on the road, of similar type were D, and only the detached ones were E. I did this on the website as a result of one of the moneysaving emails towards the end of last year!

    I got lots of letters acknowledging my appeal, and they set up some kind of hearing and it all seemed quite heavyweight. But then a lady rang me and said she would come out an look at the house. She did, and said that the raise was because the garage was converted into a room. However she said since they were selling at the low end of the band in 1991, she wouldn't expect the garage conversion to put it up a whole band.

    So we got a form in the post saying we agree to the proposed change, and sent it back! We're awaiting our updated bill now. :)

    Cheers,
    John
  • JulieR
    JulieR Posts: 39 Forumite
    Birmingham City Council
    band before B
    band after A
    refunded £550

    i moved into my home December 03-like many before me on this tread, its one thing you dont check up on when you move in.
    Thanks to this site i read the 'check your council band'
    thread and checked the site out - i found that i was the only bungalow in band B, all the others were band A, (small properties) the houses were all in band B. I promptly wrote off asking for a review, the initial responce was to say that i didnt fit the criteria for claiming as i had been in my property longer than the 6 months stated but they would review and get back to me, should i want to appeal i could do.
    At the time i had lots going on and didnt get round to appealing - 3 weeks later i got a letter saying that as they hadnt heard they were taking it that i wasnt appealling, however, they had, as promised reviewed my banding and they were continuing to look at the situation. Two weeks later i received a letter rebanding my property into A.
    I rang them the next day and asked if i would be refunded the differance for the last 3 years, i was informed that they only rebanded and any claim would be against the local authority. I contact Birmingham CC and spoke to a very helpful lady who informed me that a cheque was in the post and i didnt need to pay any further payments for 2006/7.
    I worked out that the amount i was refunded was around £550; cheque plus no further payments.

    I can not thank the site enough for the valued information.

    In 2006 i will have reclained over £3000 in bank charges and council tax repayments, thats without calculating the savings from special offers and freebies plus using the information on utility savings and comparing goods prices.
    I sing the praises of all the consumer sites to any one who will listen and i know that others have gone on to claim monies back.

    thanks one and all
    Julie
    1221.61p. Total bank charges reclaimed from Allicance and Leicester.

    £80total bank charges claimed from MBNA

    £120 bank charges Barcleycard

    council tax band reduced from B to A - refunded last two years differance.£300.
  • i_love_it
    i_love_it Posts: 844
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Hi all

    In response to martins email I wanted to share my success story. I followed the guidelines on the site and succeeded in re banding from c to b after checking the banding of my neighbours, many are still in c, but some others must have appealed at some stage.

    I also checked out what my property was likely to be worth in 1991, that's when the banding was done. ( I think it was on the halifax website) It indicated the value as below the band c value. I used this info in my appeal

    Refund back dated to 1999 total 491.00

    Simple to do.

    Thanks for the info Martin!
  • Local Borough Council: Chesterfield
    Council Tax Band Before: E
    Council Tax Band After: D
    Amount refunded: £2641.98

    Having read the article on rate bandings, I clicked onto the local valuation office (Derby) and found that the houses around me were on band D - some with extensions, which I didn't, so I then clicked further to register a complaint -simple as that.
    I quickly received a letter explaining that when the banding was created some 13 years ago, residents were informed that they had 6 months in which to contest the banding.
    (In those days (and even today), you could hardly go knocking on your neighbours doors and asking which band they were in!)
    However, the letter also said that, as long as I accepted their final decision, they would look into it and if they found that there had been an error, they would consider the case. Fair enough, which I accepted.
    A week or two later I received a re-banding letter from E to D, but it was also back-dated to April 1993!
    Lo and behold, my local council quickly sent me a wad of credit notes for 13 years amounting to £2641.98!
    But before anybody complains, make sure the result cannot back-fire and that they are pushed up a band instead!
    Thank you Martin!
  • musey
    musey Posts: 412
    First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    Local Borough Council: Sheffield
    Council Tax Band Before: B
    Council Tax Band After: A
    Amount refunded: £458.31


    I applied having lived in my house for 3 years. Initially re-banding appeal was rejected on the grounds I was out of time but I persevered. I supplied details of the valuation price in 1993 (property was owned by family member prior to me hence my having a valuation going back so far). I supplied details of other similar properties and also properties of greater size/value that were banded at the lower band. I also used the Nationwide house price calculator to show the value in 1991. Whole process took approx 6 weeks. I did have a visit from a valuations officer which was very simple & painless, it took approx 10mins.
  • melg1973
    melg1973 Posts: 207 Forumite
    Local Council: East Riding of Yorkshire
    Previous Band: C
    Now in Band: B
    Refund: £369.14

    This my first post and its good news as you can see. I had thought for ages that my 2 bedroomed end terrace should be in a band B and not a C but was under the impression I had missed the boat as hadn't queried it within 6 months of moving in (which was May 2003). After reading Martins article I rang the local valuation office who said they would look into it, they came round and measured the house not long after and a month later I got a letter (yesterday) saying it had been altered. I then rang the council who said a refund of £369.14 would be 'on the way' :j

    It will go towards a holiday that we thought we might not be able to afford this year!

    Thanks Martin
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards