Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

Styx_Travel

Local Borough Council: East Herts DC
Council Tax Band Before: F
Council Tax Band After: E
Amount refunded: £2978
Annual saving going forward: £340

I didn't hold out much hope as we'd been living in our home since new in 1995. We followed the advice and a quick search of our neighbours showed that one family were paying less for a bigger home. My wife phoned up the Valuation Office and briefly explained our home layout. We were told that a Valuation Officer would contact us within a few weeks to value us. As it turned out after about 2/3 weeks we just got a letter that we were successful and after about another 3 weeks the cheques came from the Council, best part of £3k!!!!

We're over the moon and thanks to Martin and everyone's stories on here in challenging it. It couldn't have been much easier to be honest. A few of our neighbours have now received letters as well although they've been a bit slow with the wine considering we've saved them £1000's :rolleyes:
Good stuff.

Enterprise_1701C

I am slightly concerned that there seems to be no success stories for Hart District Council on here. We have had a letter from the VOA saying no to rebanding, despite the fact that the properties on the same road (albeit slightly smaller originally, some with extensions) in a lower band have actually been sold for what would have been a higher 1991 price. Also says the normal No Appeal.

Fortunately the writer of the letter made an error in saying that none of the extended properties in Band C have been re-sold since being extended so am now working on a reply including the relevant house values.

Any advice on what to say, what not to say? And please, anyone on here in Hart with a success story? They are a pain in the *** of a local council.

Wish me luck!

lincroft1710

Jane - whatever DC a property is situated in will in itself have no bearing on whether a reband request is successful or not. If VOA are unaware of resale (there is the odd sale which does not percolate through to them) then they would not have been able to increase band. If a sale has taken place, then they could now increase band.

If smaller lower banded properties have sold for prices which would suggest they are underbanded, then this won't help you, it would strengthen VOA's claim that your band is correct.

If you can find houses of a similar size and type as yours in neighbouring roads in lower bands then this may help your case. You will have to come up with something quite persuasive for VOA to change their mind.

Enterprise_1701C

Thanks for that Lincroft1710.

Does anyone know if, with the BA Ref, is there any way of tracing when the valuation was changed?

The smaller lower banded properties have sold for the higher price since they have been rebanded. Five out of the 7 in that section of the road have been rebanded down from a D to a C, the only ones that have not are occupied by an OAP and by someone that does not talk to too many people really. We are in a cul-de-sac and they are in the road leading into it.

With the extended property there was not even one of the information notes saying the band might go up when resold - there is with a property that has been extended to a greater degree and has a very large garden (corner property) They did get planning permission so the council does know about it!

We know of a similar road nearby that is entirely in Band C, but they are a little smaller in that they have integral garages and we do not, they are in a separate block.

It's just a bit irritating watching our services disappearing (even our access road is getting worse with no maintenance!) and having to pay more and more, while others in more or less the same house are paying less, (and we can't find out whey cos they've all changed hands since!). I feel like stamping my feet and screaming! If I had access to the info then maybe it would be clearer.

Thank you for any help you can give.

If this is on the wrong board, can someone move it to the right one please, although I don't expect a protracted conversation - I just could not find a board for utter failures!

lincroft1710

Jane - apart from taxpayer of subject property, only the VOA and the council will know the date the rebanding took place. You can ask them (suggest VOA rather than council) and it is a fairly simple keypress operation so they should tell you.

Reading your post, it occurs to me that the VOA may be having second thoughts about having rebanded the neighbouring Ds to Cs. They may not want to increase them back to a D, but equally don't want to reduce any others to a C. As VOA are not obliged to divulge the sales evidence they have used in banding houses in your and neighbouring roads, we can't tell which band is correct for which house.

Having similar houses in different bands is not uncommon. My own road has really only one house type, but most have had some form of extension over past 40yrs, yet bands are a mixture of Cs and Ds with little logic. I am aware that some extensions are not known to VOA though.

ruthrocky

Broxtowe council - notts
Was band D
Now C
Rebate for me 660
Rebate for ex owner 760
Reduction 200 per year

Initially VOA wrote saying no - but had inadvertantly written wrong name on reply so as a result of phoning to check if this was intended for me or the other person, they agreed to come out and have a look, which they promply did and the next day I received a phone call to say I was going from D to C back dated to 1993 in line with the neighbours. I called the ex owner who rang the council and they immediately agreed to send them a cheque within a month. Well done Martin and team!!!

bankies

sorry martin mine is not very good we have two estates with all the same property the assessor in scotland has changed the main estate from a E banding to a D band in West Dumbartonshire but has refused to include two streets saying they have found sales over 58k but that is the same case in the other streets but refuse to let us appeal has anybody got any info what our next step could be , we have already been to m.s.p. & local councillors

lincroft1710

If you've approached both councillor and MSP and they can't help, then I think there is nothing else you can do. If a house like yours on your estate has a new occupier in near future you could suggest that they appeal their CT band as they will have opportunity of Valuation Tribunal hearing which may find in favour of taxpayer rather than Assessor.

simon11101

Gone from Band C to band B. 4 years backdates. £1200 back from the council. Also got £500 PPI from MBNA so all in all, after a really hard battle, some money in the bank!!!!Thanks to all at MSE.com

mlongley

Following instructions on MSE.com I found that I could apply for re-valuation online.
The form was really easy. Got a reply within 4 days - and saved money

East Dorset District Council
Moved into new house and found that all other houses in street bar 2 were band D. I was an E. The other 2 houses that are Es have been seriously modernised and extended.

Filled in on-line form and less than 2 weeks later have new payment plan from council. Saving is complicated because I've moved around a bit in last few months but am saving £50 a month for next 5 months.

Thank you ML