Council Tax Cost Cutting: reduce your band and grab any discounts Discussion Area

grenf0lds

Council Tax - rebanding
I researched as advised early in the year and phoned VOA. Friendly reception and 5 weeks later had notice reducing Band G to Band F. Within 2 weeks over £2500 put back in my bank. My 2 neighbours are currently making phone calls! Asking about interest I was advised by Council - Waverley Surrey - to go back to VOA who passed me on to another office. A letter to there has been acknowledged but they have to investigate whether the original banding was a genuine mistake or carelessness before deciding whether interest is due! Till now I have been waiting a further 10 days but VOA only post letters on a Monday so perhaps next week will bring an answer!

hecatescarlet13

Thanks for that info. I'll try that route. But does anybody else have experience of claiming interest?

Maisie

hecatescarlet13 wrote: »

Thanks for that info. I'll try that route. But does anybody else have experience of claiming interest?

Other posters have said they have recived interest on their rebates. Look back on this thread and on the success thread. Maybe if you contact them they will tell you how they did it.

We'd all like to know.

In the meantime I'd be happy to get a rebanding first of all !! Have been chasing voa for nearly 6 months and no luck yet.

Maisie

Kantankrus_Mare

Been meaning to look into this for ages and finally got around to it today.

I live in a street with 32 houses in it.

19 houses are in band B and the rest are in band A. We are in band B.

All houses are identical except some have extensions to the back kitchens which Im assuming have been done in the last ten years.

I went thorough the three stages and worked out that an identical property would have been worth £40,000 in 1991 so on the borderline, but I cant understand why some are A and some are B and find it very unfair :eek:

We have lived in the house since 1993 when we paid £43,000 for it.

We queried with some neighbours last year about the differences and they said they had attempted to query it but was told that some houses have central heating and some dont't?

I rang the appropritae person today and straight away she told me about the six month rule.

I promptly advised her they had a legal duty to look into this for me as similar properties were in a lower banding and I had researched the price of identical house in 1991.

Anyhow she took my details and said it could be up to two months and I may get someone round to measure the house, which I have no problem with.

I think Ive got quite a strong case but am I living in hope?:rolleyes:

guppy

Daisy_Bell wrote: »

The VO has to look at your claim by law, but they can say (and usually do) that they have evidence of sales in your area for 1990-1993but because you are 'Out of Time' they are (they say) not obliged to show that to you!

Its true they're forbidden from telling you the exact details of other people's sales, but if you prod them a bit there's no reason they can't give you the approximate information, minus the exact addresses and dates. Obviously if they are using a very posh street that isn't comparable, you can pull them up about it...

Maybe something to try if you are getting nowhere fast anyway...

Daisy_Bell

guppy wrote: »

Its true they're forbidden from telling you the exact details of other people's sales, but if you prod them a bit there's no reason they can't give you the approximate information, minus the exact addresses and dates. Obviously if they are using a very posh street that isn't comparable, you can pull them up about it...

Maybe something to try if you are getting nowhere fast anyway...

Well I have written to them, but so far received no reply. To be honest, I don't hold out much hope of getting any further with this really. When I first started, I had high hopes, as I really felt I had right on my side and that I had a very good case. Had I just moved into the property, I feel sure I would have won. But of course I didn't know about the six month rule then, or I never would have begun this. I'm pretty certain this was never brought out in the programme! If there was one other 3-bed property in our street with a lower band I would have a good case, but I am obviously the first to try for a lower band. What annoys me is that the 4-bed properties outnumber the 3-bed ones! The VOA obviously think they have a good case because no one has ever appealed before now. They are further spurred on by the fact that if I were to win an appeal, it would open the flood gates and all the other 3-bed property owners in the area would follow suit!

england_2

hello - my wife and ex husband bought our house 95k in 2001, and is in band E valued at 88K in 1991 i followed the re-calulation link and it came out at just over 56k which would put it in band C also found out my neighbours in identical house next door (semi) are a band D !!!!!!! rang council and they sent me a letter saying no chance, but i will try again when i have done more research. can anyone tell me what actually does composite mean as i have had 2 or 3 different answers from friends but still not sure

CIS

A composite dwelling is one which is part residential and part business and it will be banded as such.

There is no point sending letters to the council regarding banding , you need to spak to the Valuations Office as the Council have no say in the actal banding.

grace21

Just to bring those who have been following my plight up to date.

I'm still no nearer getting the total rebate from my council (Brighton & Hove) which was due to me following my successful rebanding.I wrote to my MP and asked for his support which has resulted in him sending me a copy of the letter the council had already sent me with his compliment slip inside!!When I tried to contact him I was told that he was out of the country and wouldn't be available for at least a month and didn't I realise that he was a very busy man!!

I will take this to the council's Standards and Complaints team but don't hold out much hope as they are sticking to the view that they do not have pay back any more than 6 years overpayment.

Should I be thinking about taking them to a small cliams court,especially if they continue to refuse to listen to reason?

Grace

guppy

grace21 wrote: »

Just to bring those who have been following my plight up to date.

I'm still no nearer getting the total rebate from my council (Brighton & Hove) which was due to me following my successful rebanding.I wrote to my MP and asked for his support which has resulted in him sending me a copy of the letter the council had already sent me with his compliment slip inside!!When I tried to contact him I was told that he was out of the country and wouldn't be available for at least a month and didn't I realise that he was a very busy man!!

I will take this to the council's Standards and Complaints team but don't hold out much hope as they are sticking to the view that they do not have pay back any more than 6 years overpayment.

Should I be thinking about taking them to a small cliams court,especially if they continue to refuse to listen to reason?

Grace

Sorry to hear your MP is useless. He obviously doesn't think he needs your vote. The one's in my area seem much better at helping their constituents with things like this.

I don't know if you can take council to small claims court. You could write to your local councillor (they really can't ignore you about an issue involving the council). Also you could try and claim compensation from the VOA since ultimately it is their fault you have lost the money you paid.

I really don't understand how the councils can legally refuse to pay out...maybe Martin could investigate as a follow up story...:money:

Good luck anyway!