Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

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  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,510
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    foe - although your friend is out of time to make formal appeal, she can ask Valuation Office Agency to check her band, which they will do. She should mention that her neighbours (whom I presume have similar houses) are in a lower band. If she had made formal appeal which was outside 6 month time limit set down in Council Tax law then that would be treated as invalid, but VOA would check the band and if they believed it was incorrect would correct it. However if VOA believe band correct, as her appeal is invalid there is no right to a determination by the Valuation Tribunal which is an independent arbitrator.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • Hi there,

    In August I went through this process, and have had my Band changed from C to B.

    All other flats in my building were band B, so it seemed like a pretty safe bet.

    I live in Glasgow so went through the scottish system. I received an email reply two weeks after applying saying my appeal had been upheld, and then 6 weeks later 2 cheques arrived.

    I got one for 180 quid, and one for the previous owner for nearly 600 quid, which I have now passed on.

    My monthly bill has dropped hugely as well, and I wonder if this may be to cover the remiander of what I am owed, and it will in time go back up a bit, but just now I am delighted with the result.
  • arunadasi
    arunadasi Posts: 1,237
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    Congratulations! Today I sentoff my own application form - they wanted a plan of the flat etc. Hope I'm as fortunate as you! I'm a C in a block of A, B and C flats.
  • Council: Haringey

    It goes something like this:

    -Haringey placed the property on a provisional band for an amazing run of 7 years between 2000 and 2007 due to an error in communication between the Council and the Valuation Office.

    -I was in the property for only 1 year between 2004 and 2005 in a house share between 3 people..

    -I was never informed of the provisional banding.

    -2 years after moving out of the property I receive a court summons claiming that I owe them money! and that I alone was responsible for paying the money. They had after 7 years rebanded the property!!

    -Haringey treat me like a criminal, refuse to accept an error was made, refuse to return calls, and hang up the phone on me.


    Anyway, I sent the council a series of complaints (stage 1, 2, 3, etc); then I sent the valuation office a series of complaints (stage 1, 2, 3, etc).

    In the end the ombudsman got in there to kick some !!!: I ended up only paying for my third of the tax they claimed was owed, plus two compensation cheques from both the Council and Valuation office that covered the cost of the money I paid.

    The result: Victory!
  • Sucess in Essex

    Chelmsford Borough Council
    Original band G
    Rebanded to F
    Back dated to April 2001
    Refund £2158.71

    Applied in July but due to backlog only just been sorted out and then I really had to keep chasing and in the end made lots of fuss about the amount of time it was taking.
    We are one of an estate of 12 house. Us and another were band G while all the rest were band F. I checked them all out on the site and most had been downgraded in 1993 when the tax started but because ours were built in 1989, the first on the estate this never happened.
    I am off to give my neighbour the good news
  • Local Borough Council: South Somerset District Council
    Council Tax Band Before: E
    Council Tax Band After: D
    Amount refunded: £2570
    Annual saving going forward: £320 for 2008/09

    I REALISE THIS THREAD IS A LONG READ BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS MENTIONED IN THE FORUMS BEFORE SO PLEASE READ ON IT MAY APPLY TO YOU!


    My experience wasn't quite so straight forward, however this may help others if they have the same issues.
    I followed all the instructions and found I had a really good chance of a band reduction so I phoned the taxation office, they quoted me 8 weeks to get an answer so I waited for 7 weeks and 6 days with no answer. When I phoned for an update I got the reply that I would not be getting a reduction as previous transactions for a house of my size in my area had all been an E banding and that it seemed the other 4 houses in my cul-de-sac appeared to be in the wrong band. When I questioned how every other 4 bedroom detatched house in my cul-de-sac seemed to be in a D banding how could I, the 20% be right and the others, 80% be wrong?
    It is true to say I was very deflated with the answer I was given and with the prospect of my neighbours being moved up a band this was not good!
    I kept on quizzing the tax officer as I still didn't really understand how the outcome had been reached, he then told me what has now finally led me to a band reduction!
    The banding appears to be worked out on square meterage of living area which I didn't know but sounds like it makes sense.
    My house was on their records as being 145 square meters.
    The house next door to me is exactly the same design as mine but on a corner plot with more garden and a double garage.
    Having asked how big the living area of this house was the man at the tax office replied 112 square meters! 33 square meters less than mine, I don't think so!
    I then checked another address which I know to be a six bedroom detached house, the relpy was 111 square meters and a four bedroom house acoording to their records, wrong!
    The council tax man posted an appeal straight away which would take another 8 weeks and a home visit but on the 22nd December I received a banding adjustment from E to D with a refund due of £2389 plus £181 which I had overpaid for 2008/09 very nice!
    I pay by direct debit so they paid the money straight back in to my account, job done!
    Payment received 6th January 2009
    10 years worth of savings without knowing it, crap interest rate though!
    Thank you very much Martin, you've made it a very happy new year.
  • mad
    mad Posts: 259
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    Local Borough Council: Trafford in Greater Manchester
    Council Tax Band Before: D

    Council Tax Band After: C
    Amount refunded: £1017

    I managed to get nearly ten years of refund. Thanks Martin.

    It was bizarre as I had sent an e mail to the valuation office after finding out my neighbour was in a band C. I asked them to check my band and then recieved quite a large form to fill out that talked about extensions etc. At this point I got spooked because I had recently completed a loft conversion and a side extension and I thought maybe i might get moved the other way. So I left it. Two months later I recieved an e mail from the valuation officer and a letter and one day she had put her card through my door. I thought the worst and rang her up. Anyway she asked me some questions over the phone about space of extension etc, when I did it and then confirmed the move to a Band C. I was chuffed and I think she was pleased that she could help - I could have given her a kiss........

    Anyway I don't want to be cheeky and sorry if the question has been asked before, but why don't the Council's pay interest?
  • Hi guys Im a little confused...The council have wrote to me telling me they have lowered my band to a band A which is brilliant BUT they haven't produced any back pay...has that happened to anyone else?
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,510
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    It isn't the council who have lowered your band, it is the Valuation Office Agency. The VOA don't deal with money side of Council Tax but do notify council of band reduction. Depending on council and time of year it can sometimes take 6/8 weeks to get refund, often if it is (relatively) small amount then payments for either current or following CT year are reduced, rather than actual cash (cheque in fact) refund.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • Airwolf1
    Airwolf1 Posts: 1,266
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    There should be an effective date on the letter - what does this say?
    My suggestion and/or advice is my own and it is up to you if you follow it, please check the advice given before acting on it.
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