Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

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  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,510
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    Ive just noticed our neighbours to next door is in band C, while the rest of us in simular terraced houses are in band D.
    Is it worth trying to get into band C, thus getting a refund?
    Thanks. :)

    Yes.........
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • tacotaco
    tacotaco Posts: 1,126
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    Maidstone Council
    Old Band: F £2,143.30
    New Band: E £1,813.56
    Yearly Savings: £329.74
  • My council tax band has been reduced from D to C, backdated to 1993, after I applied for a review. I moved in this summer, and the previous occupants have received an automatic rebate for the ten years they lived there. (I know because they gave me a bottle of wine to thank me).
    However my next door neighbour has been rebanded from B to C. Does anyone know if she is liable to pay retrospectively for difference during the time she has lived in the property?
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,510
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    edited 19 December 2013 at 4:29PM
    wossaname wrote: »
    Does anyone know if she is liable to pay retrospectively for difference during the time she has lived in the property?

    Band increases usually only take effect from the day the council taxpayer is notified of the increase, so she shouldn't have to pay from when she became the occupier.

    Perhaps as a consolation you should give the bottle of wine to your neighbour!
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • Band increases usually only take effect from the day the council taxpayer is notified of the increase, so she shouldn't have to pay from when she became the occupier.

    Perhaps as a consolation you should give the bottle of wine to your neighbour!

    Thanks. Good idea, I will do that.
  • Local Council: Nottingham City
    Council Tax Band before:D
    Council Tax Band after: C
    amount refunded £1309
    annual saving: £182

    After checking this website and following the instructions last November, I emailed my local Valuation Office giving them evidence of the houses on my street with lower banding and the value of my house in 1991, which was well below the threshold of the Council Tax Band that we had been put in to. They told me that I could not appeal against the banding as we had been living in the house for more than 6 months but that as I had questioned it, they had a duty to investigate and would let me know the outcome. They phoned me 2 months later and gave me the good news. Thank you Martin, result!!!
  • Read Martin's newsletter and thought what have I to lose.
    Spent 1/2 hour looking at the banding and neighboring properties, only 2 like mine on our small estate and they were in the same band D, all others were band B, so I thought there must be a chance.
    A quick phone call to the local council and the process was started.
    The council rang back a month later first week in January to inform me that my banding was reduced to C and that my windfall would be in my bank account within 2 weeks and it was, HURRAY!!!:rotfl:

    Council: Bolton MBC
    Band before: D
    Band Now: C
    Refund: £2381.29 (19yrs)
    Saving future: £162.00
  • Council: Fylde Borough
    Previous banding: G
    New Banding: F
    Refund: £3686
    Annual Saving £400

    Followed MSE steps and took only one phone call. 7 weeks later letter from VOA saying banding altered and FBC have confirmed refund will be in my account within the week. Result. Thank you MSE!:T:T:T
  • a18xvm wrote: »
    Leeds City Council
    Band before B
    Band after A (hopefully)
    Refund £1000 (hopefully)
    Savings TBA

    I have read Martins guide before but never got round to doing it. We had an estate agent round to value our property with the view to moving. The estate agent automatically put on the form that the property was in band A but when I corrected her saying it was band B she said I must be mistaken and asked me to check. I got a council tax bill to show her and she immediately said it was wrong. She said all the one bedroom flats in the area are in band A and it's only the two bedroom flats that are band B. Her advice was to get it changed before putting it on the market.

    I contacted the Leeds Valuation Office and they took my name, number and address and said they would call me back. An hour later I got a call saying they have looked at all the properties on the street and cannot justify changing the banding as they are all B or higher. I pointed out that there were no properties the same as mine (1bedroom flat) on my street. I gave him a list of 1 bedroom flats that were in a band A and also a list of 2 bedroom flats that were in a B that were on adjoining streets. He said he could only take 4 examples although I had a list of 14!!!! After giving him a description of the property he said that he may need to get someone to come out and have a look. He said that I would receive a letter within 2 weeks confirming the dispute and they have a target to resolve the matter within 2 months.

    Fingers crossed!

    I'll keep you updated

    Just a late update.


    After numerous calls to the valuation office it was agreed that someone needed to visit the property. The valuation officer arrived on time a quickly told us that he believed that we were on the wrong band. He measured the rooms in the property to enable him to write his report. He said he would submit his report advising a re-band and once this was approved Leeds City Council would be informed of the change. They would also be informed immediately if the change.


    We received a letter from the valuation office informing us that our property was being rebranded from band C to band B and the council had been informed.


    We gave Leeds City Council a week to contact us but after no correspondence we telephoned then. We were told that it takes upto 28 days for them to re-band the property and send us a letter giving us the option of a refund or a deduction to our bill.


    Obviously we'll want a refund.


    Just waiting s for the letter now
  • Following MSE process, after finding my property was a Band E and situated between 2 Band D properties. I contacted the district valuation office in Wolverhampton to make them aware of the situation. They called me back within minutes when I fully explained my circumstances. They said they would revue my Band and let me know the result within 8 weeks. The 8 weeks was up last friday. I emailed them today to ask how the revue was going. Had a reply telling me I had been reduced to a Band D.:D
    As I have been in the property for over 30 years it seems I will be entitled to 21 years backpay.:p
    Based upon the information I have to hand this could be as much as 4K:rotfl:
    And an onward saving of over £300 per year.;)
    Many Thanks to MSE :money:
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