Council Tax Rebanding what Martin doesn't tell you!!

outsidetheloop

I successfully appealed against my Council Tax Banding and was refunded £3,000, yes that is what I wrote £3,000. This meant a saving of about £300 a year. There are only two houses in our street that are exactly the same. They went to tribunal and had their band reduced from an F to an E. Thus using this info, and the guidance on this site formed the core of my appeal. However, I naively told my neighbour of my success. Different house. We considered it was bigger than ours. However, they argued our house was bigger. The VOA office WROTE TO THEM telling them that they agreed our house was bigger than their house, and that they were going to change our Council Tax Band to the original F. Some weeks later they made contact, and advised us that despite the fact that there was no new evidence that they were upping our Band. Apparently since 2000 there have been 1,200 such cases.

Is this strictly legal?
Can anyone direct me to a source of information that I can draw upon to argue my case.
Should we be all ignorning David Cameron's Big society and just not help our neighbour.
Having looked through this website, the message appears to be share the info. My advice is tell your neighbour nothing and look after your own bank account:money:

Mobeer

In the article on this website:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change

it is noted that:
"You can’t ask for 'my band to be lowered' only for a 'reassesment' which means your band could be moved up as well as down.

In some extremely rare examples it's even possible that your neighbours band could be increased."

Perhaps your neighbours:
1) found out that your tax banding was reduced
2) tried to get their banding reduced, arguing their property to be worth less than yours
3) were then told by the council that had their banding was correct and that yours was wrong?

lincroft1710

The VOA has a duty to get the council tax band correct. There is nothing in CT law which prevents the VOA from increasing a band after having reduced it, if it seems the original band was in fact correct. I'm ex VOA and have known this happen on several occasions. I've also had neighbours of a taxpayer who complained her band was 2 bands higher than theirs, have their bands increased by 2 as her band was correct and theirs was wrong.

OP be grateful you got £3K and don't have to pay it back.