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

rizla01

caseya wrote:

Hi

I have a question, well 2 actually. For background - I have just done the calculation on my house and reckon that I can appeal for my current property as the house next door is the same as mine (but it also has a loft conversion) and it is in Band B when I am in Band C! The Nationwide calculator also shows that I should be in Band B.

This got me thinking - I am pretty sure the house I previously lived in was also rated a Band C when I lived there so I checked it out on the VOA site but it says currently it is a Band B. So I have 2 questions:

Is there any way of checking the history of my council tax payments for my previous property to see if my memory is working correctly and I was indeed charged at Band C, and if so, is there a way of appealing against the council tax paid on that property should it be discovered that I also paid over the odds for that property? Or am I just being greedy

If I haven't confused you all, any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

As has been mentioned SEVERAL times on this thread, you can only claim on a previous property if the existing owner has obtained a reduction' since you are deemed to not have an interest in the property.

Get them to get it reduced. Then claim.

Philip624

I have successfully reduced the banding on my property and received payment back from the Council. Is there any scope to request interest from the council for the overpayments?

Maisie

Hi Philip624

Well done on getting your band lowered and rebate.

If you read back on the thread you will find that some applicants were lucky in getting interest but others were not. More were unable to get interest than those who did.

If you read from page 10 onwards I think Jotts is explaining that no interest is paid normally.

HTH

Maisie original poster

be877

I recently challanged my council tax band as from the Nationwide HPI my property was in D when it should be in C. I had a reply from the VOA stating that the Nationwide HPI is inaccurate and invalid and that they use 'actual' house prices to determine values, and not the estimates given by HPIs. They even enclosed a copy of the estimate they had used using Halifax's HPI which was completely different, and used it to state that the band was actually correct.

I didn't loose out but BEWARE!!

Maisie

be877 wrote:

I recently challanged my council tax band as from the Nationwide HPI my property was in D when it should be in C. I had a reply from the VOA stating that the Nationwide HPI is inaccurate and invalid and that they use 'actual' house prices to determine values, and not the estimates given by HPIs. They even enclosed a copy of the estimate they had used using Halifax's HPI which was completely different, and used it to state that the band was actually correct.

I didn't loose out but BEWARE!!

Sorry to hear you didn't get your band lowered be877.

Have you posted this on Martin's SUCCESS AND FAILURES thread ? others would be interested.

Is the Halifax HPI online?

Maisie

Dorset_Diver

Hi,

I'm pleased to hear of so much success and I to would like to try for a reduction / rebate but I have been unable to access the VOA site. Even at 0200 hours this morning the site was too busy(see below). Martin what have you started!

"We are currently experiencing a higher demand than usual for our website. If you are unable to access the pages you require at the moment, please try again later."

DD

Maisie

It's been like that since Friday night when the programme went out!.

I did manage to get on last night from 12am - 1am.

No luck this morning.

maisie

bye_bye_band_G

Caseya, you will be able to see if the band has changed on your old house by checking the last column titled 'effective from'. A date shown here shows it has been altered at some stage. Also click on the actual address. If you then get an option to 'view banding history', that will tell you if the band has been altered and what it was originally. If it HAS been altered, with an effective date of before you left, the council should refund you on request.



'' #483
Philip624
Regular MoneySaver



Join Date: Jan 2005
Post Count: 202
Thanked 47 Times in 24 Posts Can you claim interest on overpayments?

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I have successfully reduced the banding on my property and received payment back from the Council. Is there any scope to request interest from the council for the overpayments ''

Philip, someone called David Harrison is the person who many pages ago told us he had received interest back from the Council on his rebate. I would love to know how he did it. I'd like my interest back on my rebate of £2906. David, where are you when we need you??????

MDF_2

I was charged council tax for 14 years for a 3 bedroom semi-detached property. When I first moved in I asked for an assessment and was told because all the other properties in the road were family homes I had to be in that band.

I was living in a 1 bedroom flat! Now that I have moved out can I claim back 14 years of overpaying council tax?

Maisie

MDF wrote:

I was charged council tax for 14 years for a 3 bedroom semi-detached property. When I first moved in I asked for an assessment and was told because all the other properties in the road were family homes I had to be in that band.

I was living in a 1 bedroom flat! Now that I have moved out can I claim back 14 years of overpaying council tax?

MDF read Rizla's thread 482 above. If it is still wrong get the current occupiers to appeal and you can appeal too.

if they have appealed and got a rebate and rebanding. Chase yours up.
Look at https://www.voa.gov.uk to see what the current occupiers are banded at (If you can get on the voa site!)

HTH Maisie