Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

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  • Local Borough Council: Macclesfield
    Council Tax Band Before: F
    Council Tax Band After: E
    Amount refunded:
    £1200
    Annual saving going forward: £300

    I was having no luck using the online check list, it said don't apply. However, I found an old Conveyance for 1992 which when using the houseprice calculator put us in Band E. I sent it off with a letter and got re-banded.

    Our house is in a nice area of WIlmslow and is a big three bedroom victorian townhouse worth £550K, however, in the early nineties there was a real threat of a bypass being built next door and this affected the value then. The bypass took another route but we still benefit through lower 1991 values.

    In fact, my property was borderline band D!. I am now going to investigate if I can obtain a probate from 1991 which should have valued the house for death duties and may put it in Band D. Fingers crossed.

    Without the conveyance document my application would have failed just like my neighbours recently did.
  • Council; South Ribble Borough Council
    Council Tax Band before E
    Council Tax Band after D
    Amount refunded £3220

    I did all the research as suggested and found that the adjoining semi was band D and mine was band E. Using the suggested sites for house prices it looked a bit touch and go as to whether it would be worth a claim but in the end I thought why not, it cant get any worse. I completed a very simple form and within about a month received a letter saying my banding had been lowered and that a cheque for £3220 was on its way (I've been in the house since 1988). Excellent result and very simple to do.....Thanks
  • vigman
    vigman Posts: 1,377
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    In September I started using this group and read the item about Council Tax bandings.

    We have always felt we paid too much, and when I used the links on this site, I was interested to see that everyone else in the street was paying less than us.

    We live in a pair of period cottages [taxed as one property] that we kept as original including two front doors to the one property. Everyone else had put in a central door and removed the two existing ones.

    We were charged at band "F" whilst others ranged from "B" to "E".

    I followed the instructions and just made an informal request for a rebanding check. The officer was going to come out, but simply accepted current photos of front and back of the property when I told him it was terraced and he couldn't view the back without someone being there.

    Within days, he agreed to reduce the band to "E" with the option to oppose that formally.

    Within a few more days, we received a payment of 2,800!!!!!! backdated to 1994.

    I'm not going to fight for a further regrading as it would be a borderline argument, but can't say how easy this was to do.

    Thank you so much Martin, and this wonderful group!!!

    A very happy Vigman

    Local Borough Council: West Oxford District Council
    Council Tax Band Before: F

    Council Tax Band After: E
    Amount refunded: 2,800
    Annual saving going forward: Not yet calculated
    Any information given in my posts or replies is intended to be of interest and/or help to members of the forum. I cannot guarantee that this is accurate or up to date.
  • All I had to do was phone leeds VOA and give them details of why I felt it needed changing (when asking my neighbours over the road they where paying one band less).
    I was told over the phone it may take up to 3months to get a response....4weeks later they wrote to me stating the banding had been lowered :) Hassle free really!
    I havent had a refund of the money I have already paid though...I will keep you posted!

    THIS SAVED ME £135 PER YEAR! :money:
  • Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council
    Band amended from E to D and refunded £1500.

    It's important to also note that I was no longer the owner of the property. I wrote to the new owners and informed them that I beleived I was originally banded incorrectly when I bought the house brand new. They wrote to the Valuation Office (unbeknown to me), the property was rebanded and because I had expressed my concerns with the Borough Council, I received a cheque out of the blue many months later!!
    One letter to the new owners, a phone call to the Council and a phone call to the Valuation Office and £1500 better off, many thanks Martin!!
    Get checking your old addresses!!
  • My house was in band B though alot in the same street of different design were in band A.

    Initial phonecall to VOA resulted in re-banding being rejected as the officer quoted prices from the land registry. However, upon inspection of my historical deeds obtained from my mortgage company of all old conveyances I discovered that the valuation officer was 10 years out with her figures.

    Also used a website called www.ourproperty.co.uk which now has free prices pre 2000. With this info and the nationwide price calculator I finally got band reduced after writing to head valuation officer.

    Awaiting backdate but so happy with advice from this site, keep at them if no luck at first. May only take a five minute letter to turn original decisions. good luck
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,545
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    geordiekev - I can't see how VOA could have been 10 years out with figures, it would put band way, way, way out
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • New to this forum, please take easy.I live in lothian scotland.Made proposal on line for rebanding in sep 08.two weeks later recieved letter from assessor valid proposal,then again an other letter in mid Dec08 saying (I hereby inform you that i have referred it as an apeal to local valuation apeal panel,you will recieve formal notice of hearing in due courseand same time explaining the procedure to be followed)Any one can advice me please that what will happen next.they will call me to committe meeting also what type of prepration i have to do.how they have apeal meetings?Please advice me as much you can.Thanks
  • foe
    foe Posts: 1 Newbie
    Local Borough Council: Wakefield
    Council Tax Band Before: E

    Council Tax Band After: D
    Amount refunded: £2002
    Annual saving going forward:£300

    After reading the Article I checked what the neighbouring houses were paying and found all the street were different even those with similar houses also I had proof of the propery value in 1999 which was less than what the banding values were set to in 1992

    I made two phone calls and everthing was sorted within two months

    my friend who lives in the next village which under Selby Council has been refused because she did not complain withih 6 months of moving in to her property even though both her nieghbours are in the lower band
    has any body else had this problem?is it legal?
  • Having heard about the council tax rebate when martin was on the radio .I visited the sites suggested and got the info that was relevant. I then passed on that info to my ex because it was her house that I thought was wrongly banded. She was a bit sceptical but i kept nagging her to give it a go. Eventually after about a year she rechecked my figures! as you do! and wrote to the local council who said they were very sceptical but would send a valuation officer round. Two days later a phone call from the officer which gave a reduction of nearly £400 per annum and a rebate of in excess of £2500. Which they split between us! I did pay it to my ex honest! So go on, give it a go. And thankyou Martin for the tip. :beer:
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