Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

poodledoodle_2

In reply to everyone asking if it is possible to get lost interest (on overpayments of council tax) refunded - YES IT IS!

I have successfully reclaimed lost interest directly from the valuation office that dealt with my claim (St Albans) and also on behalf of my parents (Nottingham).

I was sent a booklet by the valuation office in both cases called 'Putting Things Right' - which explains what they will do to try and make amends when they have made a mistake.

I wrote a letter detailing why I thought I deserved to be compensated for the loss of interest. The main reason I used was that I wish to be treated 'equally and fairly' with my neighbours - who had not suffered the same loss because their council tax band had been correct all along, and also that it was their failure to use the correct band that had caused the situation in the first place, and therefore their resonsibility. I should say that in both cases this went back over a number of years.

St Albans agreed to compensated me first using a statutary agreed rate of interest - which suggests that there is a system in place to compensate in some circumstances.

On their behalf I sent a copy of the St Albans offer to compensate my loss of interest to the Nottingham Offiice who dealt with my parents reclaim of overpaid council tax. They had first of all refused to pay out on lost interest when my parents contacted them, once again I requested that they be treated in the same equal and fair manner as I had.

I believe that if it was right to compensate me then it is right to compensate them, and everyone else who is in a comparable situation. And guess what - SUCCESS - they changed their mind and decided they would pay them compensation for their loss of interest. I think seeing proof that I had been compensated gave them no option other than to agree to treat my parents the same.

So I would say persevere - money is tight for everyone at the moment, and I firmly believe we should all be treated the same. I am more than happy to pay as much as all my neighbours in council tax but not more than!

I hope this might help others. Thanks to all at MSE.

woodymeg

hi can some one please tell me how i find out what bands the other houses are in my street, new to this and dont know where to start thanks

lincroft1710

woodymeg - www.voa.gov.uk

Go to Council Tax Valuation List homepage and follow instructions

jayinoz

Local Borough Council: Aylesbury Vale
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded: £1850
Annual saving going forward: £300

A bit sceptical, but 5 minutes of surfing, an email, and a very short form later, and I've been downgraded from E to D, despite my property being shown to fall in to the band E price on your value checker. My neighbours were band D and that's all it took.

Had my current bill wiped out, saving about £1050, and nearly £800 quid credited to our bank account.

Nice one

p.s.

I'm now applying for the interest lost on my overpayment as stated here...

Can't post links so google putting-things-right-eng.pdf

"In either case you can claim any reasonable costs which you can show you have incurred as a direct result of our mistake or delay. These might include postage, telephone and travelling costs, interest on overpaid council tax and other reasonable out of pocket expenses. The rating legislation already makes provision for the payment of interest when rating assessments are reduced and a repayment is due."

nurse-money

Local Borough Council: Manchester City Council
Council Tax Band Before: B
Council Tax Band After: A
Amount refunded: Unsure as yet (probs nothing as just moved in)
Annual saving going forward: £147 !!!

Juts moved in to my new flat (in a large converted Victorian House) in May 2009, and was really surprised to find out it fell in to BAND B, when some of the neighbours in the same house fell in to BAND A, almost exactly the same size flats!!

I questioned Manchester City Council, who said contact VOA. No surprise there...

Contacted VOA one month ago online form (dead easy to fill in) and they wrote to me to confirm the email was received. They then contacted me to arrange a viewing for the flat, they came today. The lady measured up and said she would be in touch. She rang this afternoon, to say she was changing it from a B to A!!! Saving £147 over the year!! Thank you so much Martin!!!! Im so happy!!!!!!

martyandian

south ayrshire council scotland
council tax before band E
council tax now band D
refund £3900
yearly saving £340


Thanks Martin
we got a whopping cheque £3900 yippee, 16 years of overpayment!!!!

We have requested the interest but have been told there is no provision in place to pay interest!!! We intend to keep writing until we get whats rightfully ours. what a cheek especially after the recent press on bogus interest claims!!

any ideas of how to get it back?

cheers martin

lincroft1710

There is no provision in CT legislation for councils to pay interest on refund of overpaid CT. So unfortunately you have no "right" to any interest.

In Eng/Wales in very, very exceptional circumstances, the VOA (who do same job as Assessor but are part of HMRC and thus independent of council) do sometimes pay interest. During 12 yrs of dealing with CT appeals and 18 months posting on here, I am only aware of this happening 3 or 4 times.

zerolight

Yay! I submitted a request to have my band reduced via the Glasgow Council website. Two weeks later I got an email to say my request had been successful, and as requested was backdated to December 2001. Just off the phone today with the rebates folk at Glasgow Council Tax, having just received my reduced band notification. £2.4k rebate, and this years payments have also dropped from 230 a month to 140 a month! Score!

Thanks for the tips Martin!

Local Borough Council: Glasgow City Council
Council Tax Band Before: F
Council Tax Band After: E
Amount refunded: £2,400
Annual saving going forward: £300 ish

sue3_2

Local Borough Council: Kirklees Council
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded: £3294

Couldn't believe how easy it was! I just rang the local VOA office and had a chat with the Valuation Officer. 6 weeks later a letter arrived agreeing I was in the wrong band and a cheque is on the way. Wow!

neilgy

My daughter put me on to your site and having read the item on how to get a review of my band, one phone call to the Valuation Office resulted in a rebate of £3637.73 which arrived in my bank account just about a month later. Wow! As easy as that. We took our daughter and grandson out for a very nice dinner last night to say thankyou.
Rutland County Council
Band before E
Band now D
Amount refunded £3637.73
Annual reduction £349.36

Many, many thanks Martin