Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

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  • (I have posted the following in my original "thread", but thought i'd better report our success here too !) -

    Whaoooo !!!!!!!! Thought I MUST advise you all of the result to our claim for a "Review" (which I contacted the forum about here -

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=278090&page=135&highlight=local+occupancy )

    Well, yesterday afternoon, the local Valuation Officer telephoned me with ABSOLOUTELY FANTASTIC NEWS !!! YES - they have agreed to lower our band from a Band F to a Band E !!!!!!!!!!! Even better is that they are backdating the refund back to when we first moved into the property after it was built, in late 1994 !!! I have calculated (from the figures given to me by the local council tax dept.) that the total difference between a Band F and a Band E, going back to 1994, will be approx. £3408.39p ! WHAT A XMAS PRESENT ! The actual refund will be slightly less though I think, as we did not start the council tax until approx. Oct/Nov 1994, so we won't receive a whole years refund for the 1994/95 period, plus we now pay over 10 months, and so still have approx. 4 months of this years tax to pay, so won't obviously receive a full years refund for this 08/09 c.tax year either....

    BUT we are absoloutely ESTATIC ! and we send you all a HUGE "THANK YOU" to all who have offered their advice over the past 6/8 weeks, for taking the time and effort to reply to our queries... Many thanks to Martin too, for creating such a brilliant website!

    MANY MANY THANKS AGAIN
    Problems
  • :j Local Borough Council: Oldham Council
    Council Tax Band Before: F

    Council Tax Band After: E
    Amount refunded: £2500

    After following Martin's guidance I have just received a cheque for £2500 - just in time for christmas. Not only did I get a rebanding the very kind VOA rebanded seven other houses in my street. I suspect that this has cost the Council over £15000. The VOA were very helpful and gave me an answer within 6 weeks of making first contact.


    I have also claimed for my parents who also live in Oldham and they have moved from Band C to B. I estimate that to be another £1500.

  • Oblivion
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    markjjones wrote: »
    :j Local Borough Council: Oldham Council
    Council Tax Band Before: F
    Council Tax Band After: E
    Amount refunded: £2500

    I have also claimed for my parents who also live in Oldham and they have moved from Band C to B. I estimate that to be another £1500.

    Congratulations! :beer: A very nice result indeed and a splendid Christmas present.

    Dave.
    ... Dave
    Happily retired and enjoying my 14th year of leisure
    I am cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
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  • Hi All,

    I followed Martin's advice about 5 months ago and bagged us £1800 refund in council tax from Greenwich council.

    The VOA office were brilliant. I presented them with all the info, my tax band, neighbours, etc and they said they would look into it. then we had a letter saying that they agreed with us and would reband the house right back to when it was built - 1997 (WOOHOO).

    Then we got revised bills from Greenwich council, only, they only went back to 2000, so i rang them and apparently thats when they changed their comp systems. They just told me to write an extra letter and put it in to them.

    Then a couple of weeks later, we got a cheque through for the full amount that was due to us - yay!!

    Thanks Martin & MSE!!
  • Local Borough Council: East Staffordshire
    Council Tax Band Before: D

    Council Tax Band After: C
    Amount refunded: 256£
    Annual saving going forward: about 150£


    I cannot express my gratitude enough for this website! This is power to the people! Thanks, (let me know where to send you the wine case!)


  • Local Borough Council: North Lincolnshire
    Council Tax Band Before: E
    Council Tax Band After: D
    Amount refunded: £552
    Annual saving going forward: £30

    Other similar properties were banded D ours and one neighbour were banded E. Wrote to say I thought it was incorrectly banded, recieved a form to complete and asked to provide as much information as possible ( I enclosed a plan of property with measurements). Recieved confirmation of rebanding after approx 4 weeks and confirmation of refund due from council following week. Refund backdated from 1993 but we have only lived in property 18months. Neighbour is in process of having his checked, having lived there 8 years.




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  • East Devon District Council

    1 bedroom flat at Sidmouth in Band D

    Lowered after tribunal to Band C

    Back Claim to be negotiated.

    Will save over £150 annually.

    This has been a hard slog with the Valuation Officer for the past few years and has finished with a victory at a Tribunal in October when I presented my case for over an hour. I produced photos and facts spreading over a few years. This tribunal still went ahead even though the Valuation Officer admitted it should be a Band C. Do not be put off if you think you are right and have prepared your case you can win. Although the value of the flat should have been in Band C they reduced because I proved to the tribunal that the location in the area had changed significantly since 1991. Do not be put off.

    Denis 207:j
  • Boston Borough Council
    Lincolnshire

    I checked online and my house and 4 others were in Band C - everyone else in the street was a B and some of their houses were much bigger!. Rang the council who checked while I was on the phone and they agreed. They did all the paperwork and I had a letter last week saying that I was going down to a Band B and they would deposit £958 in my account - backdated to 1993!

    How brilliant was that and so in time for Christmas. I am now going to tell the other 3 houses so they can apply as well.
    Thanks Martin, Merry Christmas:T
  • :j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j


    Local Borough Council: Cherwell
    Council Tax Band Before: E
    Council Tax Band After: D

    Followed the instructions given, found a mixture of bands d and e in the houses in our cul de sac, so applied for a revaluation. As a result CHERWELL council have been instructed to reduce my place from E to D.

    Difference this year is about £300.

    We have also just received a refund of ......................................................................................................£2800 or so!!!

    Yippee and Thanks very much Martin:money:


    :T:T:T:T:T:T
  • ;) Great site, Just applied for rebanding from Cheltenham Borough Council as my nieghbours were in C and I was in D. Just got the news that we are being rebanded to a C and that a cheque for £990 is in the post - What a good Christmas Present Thank you so much for the information Martin X
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