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Council Tax Rebate Success Story
Early this year, following Martin's advice, we checked our nearest neighbours with similar houses. We were in Band G but they were in Band F. We made a claim and in May learned that our claim was successful. We have received over £10,500 as a result. (It's not like winning a lottery though - it was our money all along!)…
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Council tax arrears and single person discount
Hi, I’m looking for advice from anyone who has experience of reclaiming overcharged council tax retrospectively. The situation I’m currently trying to resolve has two strands to it: 1) I have substantial arrears, nominally in excess of £4K, comprising part of the year 23/24 and the whole of the year 24/25, for which I have…
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Should I apply for council tax band reduction? (Scotland)
I have read the MSE Guide on claiming a council tax band reduction and I am hoping to get more guidance and advice from the forum. I suppose my ultimate question would be should I do it and what's the harm? I'm currently a Band F. I have looked at neighbouring council tax bands and there are similar properties also a Band…
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Slow completion day, extra charges!
Looking for some advice… we recently completed on a house sale. We were in a chain and although everything seemed to move quickly and efficiently, I feel like we were severely let down in the run up to and on completion day. This resulted in us completing very late in the day and having an extortionate bill from the home…
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Court action re late Council Tax payments. Is what the council telling me correct?
Hi people, Hopefully this is an appropriate group for this post. Please move if not. So I got behind with my Council Tax, and apparently I was actually two payments behind, according my council. About 6 weeks ago I was sent a letter saying legal would be taken against me if I didn't catch up with payments (although they…
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Can you ask for an Energy refund to be paid into your bank account
I am due a refund from EDF because I left and had credit. They want to send me out a cheque but I would prefer it to be paid into my bank account since I paid them directly not by cheque. They keep insisting they want to send a cheque out, so is there an option for me to decide the way I want to receive my refund? I looked…
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Council Tax Band tribunal evidence - House Size vs Land Size
Good morning all, I am currently navigate my way through a claim to adjust my property banding. I have made it to the point where we are prepping for the tribunal. I have received the 6 week pack containing the COA evidence for their increase and I am in the process of discrediting their evidence and providing my own.…
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Armed Forces Deployed Personnel Council Tax
As a memeber of the Armed Forces there are times where i have to be away from home and my wife is left on her own with our daughter. this i beleive would be considered a single occupent, however my name is on the council tax and mortgage so the council don't see that i am away. I am currently deployed now and not due to…
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North Lanarkshire, Scotland - Council Tax Band Appeal
Hi, I live in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. I purchased my house in
March 2017, and at the time it was a new-build. There are 6 or 7 different
‘styles’ of house in my estate, and when we were first issued out Council Tax
Banding Notice in 2017, I checked if my house was in the same band as the other
houses in the estate…
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Council Tax Banding and Uplift Applied by Assessors (Scotland)
I am not a Chartered Surveyor and I have very limited knowledge of Council Tax Valuation Legislation. As far as I am aware the Council Tax Band is based on "the value of any domestic property shall be taken to be the amount which the property might reasonably have been expected to realise if it had been sold in the open…
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Challenging your Council Tax Band - Lothian, Scotland - Tips - Help - Discussion
Throughout this forum we shall be giving tips on our experience when we challenged our Council Tax Band with the Lothian Valuation Joint
Board. If you are about to challenge your Council Tax Band, then please feel free to
join in. If you have already challenged your Council Tax Band, we would also
like to hear of your…
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Barclays Capital Trust Gift Plan (Barclays Unicorn)
I am trying to trace a policy that Barclays have told me was passed to Legal & General on the 18th February 2002.This policy was taken out in November 1974 and was a Barclays Capital Trust Gift Plan, and my mother was the donor.I have a Holding Number and paperwork between November 1974 - 15th November 1995. I also have a…
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Council tax refund success
Council Area: East RenfrewshireTax band before : GTax band after : FAmount refunded : £9538Annual saving : £387House bought in 1976 but I only checked tax band in 2021 after reading Martin's advice. Discovered that my house was the only one of 10 very similar properties in our small street in band G. First attempt at…
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The Council raised my band
Hi, I've just received a letter from Vos saying that the Council Instructed them to reassess my council tax band, so they'll need to see the house. Today the Council we site says that my band has been raised by one effective from 3 days ago. Is it possible that after Vos assessment it could raise even more? I bought this…
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Council Tax exemption on inherited home. Selling.
I inherited my parents home earlier this year. I currently live in a rented flat, and i get 100% reduction on my CT due to UC benefits. The house has gone through probate , but remains in my parents name until it sells and transfers to the new owners, if sold. The council has allowed an exemption (since my mother passed…
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USS/Capita Pension scheme data breach - anyone using a claim site?
Recently Capita have confirmed a data breach which has affected USS pension members among others. There are already compensation sites out there trying to get people affected to sign up. Does anyone have any experience with these or know of any other group claim being started? USS have offered a 12 month data monitoring…
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Just bought new flat and still renting: what about council tax?
Hi everyone, My brother and I have been renting in London, and we’ve recently completed the purchase of a flat as joint tenants. We’ll be ending our rental tenancy in January, as that’s the earliest we can move out based on our contract. Until January, my brother will be living in the new flat, while I’ll remain in the…
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Second Home
I have lived overseas in Australia for 44 years, I retired a few years ago and decided to purchase a flat in Scotland which I use as my main residence in the UK for 6 months of the year. I received a communication from the local council saying that they were going to double my Council Tax. Is this legal as I am paying full…
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Council tax banding challenge becoming impossible
Dear Martin and Team I really feel your team need to look into how to challenge your council tax band as your current advice seems no longer applicable. I followed your instructions, providing nationwide statistical information and listing other similar properties in close proximity of mine which are in a lower band. The…
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Hampshire CT adding 100 per cent premium as property empty after one year
Hi all. I just had notification from Hampshire CT that they are charging us another £1456 for the rest of the ct year - so want payments of £414 from November. We cant afford the normal amount. Is there anything we can do? We own a buy to let but the tenant left last June (23) - the place was in a horrendous state with…
