MSE News: 'I got my neighbours a £5,000 rebate on their council tax'

Former_MSE_Helen · 18 November 2014 at 4:15PM

Retiree Marjorie Cannadine helped four of her neighbours who were on the wrong council tax band each get a £5,000 rebate...

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'I got my neighbours a £5,000 rebate on their council tax'

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patman99 · 18 November 2014 at 7:17PM

I tried to challenge my banding when I moved-in, but it was rejected. Now, as I have already had a go, I no longer have this option as I have used this once and cannot use it again.

jimbog · 18 November 2014 at 7:36PM

as long as the banding isn't changed the wrong way ..... the neighbours wouldn't be so pleased!

Mickygg · 18 November 2014 at 8:09PM

I tried, had a great case and they rejected it. Load of rubbish.

Former_MSE_Andrea · 19 November 2014 at 10:48AM

Yay to Marjorie! If you're reading this let us know your forum name and there'll be an MSE forum badge waiting for you

poppasmurf_bewdley · 19 November 2014 at 10:54AM

I challenged my banding when I first moved into my cottage four years ago, on the grounds that my property was smaller than the two adjoining properties. All were in Band D.

My home was reduced to Band C, and so were the other two as well.

DaftyDuck · 19 November 2014 at 11:23AM

Some years back (2006) I got a banding dropped by two, from G to E. I had only intended to get it down to F, which is where it should have been, but aimed high in expectation of some defence by the ratings officer. The original application had been rejected. I'd prepared a document of several pages, including floorplans and previous selling details for about ten other properties, photographs of those properties, charts, graphs, and God only knows what else. (I know - I'm always long-winded!

)

It went before a panel of worthies who looked like the Conservative Club had been in a bun-fight with The Drones Club the night before (Where do they collect them from? Are these people honestly able to hold a job? Vote???).

The valuations officer had prepared about two minutes of simple statement that the house was valued right - so there! My "presentation" droned and waffled on so long I began to think the tribunal had all fallen asleep with boredom... I know I would have done!

Net result was that, because there was no evidence my house shouldn't be an "E", it was downgraded to an "E". It appears (although I thought/think this unlikely) that the only evidence presented had been for it being a "G". So, when that failed - just - my evidence it should be an "E" took precedence. The valuations guy had no evidence to present at that time that "E" was inappropriate. Later evidence was inadmissible.

The downgrading was also applied to the previous owners as well, when they claimed, and they'd lived there since the introduction of Council Tax. I got a meal out of their richesse. They got several thousand pounds! Oh well! :rotfl:

lincroft1710 · 19 November 2014 at 3:26PM

Just a reminder to anyone reading the article, the local council do not deal with CT banding, the Valuation Office Agency (part of HMRC) do this.

I don't know if the error was down to poor journalism or the taxpayer got confused.

bhc · 19 November 2014 at 6:38PM

I appealed my Council Tax Band and got it down from F to E back in 2007. However, in April this year I received a letter from the VOA informing me the Band had been increased to F. I went before the Valuation Tribunal today and await their decision but am not hopeful despite good evidence I submitted for the correct Band to be E.

LBR30 · 19 November 2014 at 9:30PM

I queried my banding as out of 10 identical properties 9 were band D and 1 was band C!

Apparently I was reassessed and told my banding was correct but they would not tell me why only 1 property had a lower band?

Filofix · 4 December 2014 at 7:18PM

I bought my house in a north-west seaside town 12 years ago. At the time, major regeneration of my immediate area was proposed. Some work has been carried out to refurbish some local properties, but when the banking crisis hit, all work stopped. Within 50-200 yards of my house there are almost 50 houses that were bought by the local council between 2004-2008, have subsequently remained empty and have been left to rot. Many have been vandalised and most are now completely unhabitable. The council has publicly stated that these properties now have no value.

I organised a petition signed by over 600 residents to try to get some action and presented the petition two years ago to the full council at their monthly meeting. Sadly, despite promise after promise of action, to date there has been no further work carried out on these council-owned properties. The area has become a dumping ground for fly-tippers and is a visual disgrace. Some of the properties are now too dangerous to enter, such is the state they are in. Property prices in the vicinty have suffered greatly as a result - no-one seems to want to move here - naturally.

I have been advised by a concerned local councillor to apply to the Valuation Office to have my Council Tax band lowered. Before I proceed, has anyone experienced a similar situation and been successful in having their council tax band lowered?

MSE News: 'I got my neighbours a £5,000 rebate on their council tax'

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