Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

jsps

Local Borough Council: South Ribble BC
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded: £2924
Annual saving going forward: £310

Maisie

Zebedeee wrote: »

Hear, hear, Maisie! It isn't always easy. Some of us are having the long-haul trying to get our home rebanded and it can be a lot of work. Those of you who got it sorted in half an hour, be very grateful!

That said, unless you are on a football-player's salary, it is still very much worth your while to keep up the hard slog. You win some, you lose some, but if you don't try you'll never win.

Thanks for your support Zebedee.

Would all you lucky people who have benefited from my original post(and Martin's follow up) and got your band lowered come over to the chat thread and give us 'not so lucky' ones any helpful tips that you may have used.

In true MSE fashion let us all pull together.

Maisie

poorperson

maisie and Zebedde, grateful for support. I'll see what the Freedom of Information Act is made of!

Ian (poorperson)

RGN

Martin Thanks for your excellent services for the poor British citizen - there never was a more deserving candidate for a knighthood ! Reporting my success:
Local Borough Council:Hounslow
Council Tax Band Before:D
Council Tax Band After:A
Amount refunded:TBA
Annual saving going forward:£460

Appealed in November 2006 on obtaining a council flat, as the studio flat had same Band D rating as other 1,2 and 3 bed flats in council building, and asked for Band A rating - initially received letter advising matter couldn't be decided and Valuation Office arranged for one of their staff to visit and take measurements and meanwhile Valuation Tribunal advised date for hearing in Feb 2007. Valuation Officer then wrote advising they agreed studio ctax band should be reduced to Band B. However through using the Price Indexes of HBOS and Nationwide on local properties sold in recent years ( using the property actual selling prices web sites: ourproperty and nethouseprices) in the same building and locally, which were Band B, C or D(bandings on VOA site), but larger and indexed back to 1991 ( as well as stating other factors which affected the property value - with maps and photos) I argued for Band A. Valuation Office asked for postponement of hearing at last minute to consider evidence and hearing re-set for March 19 - Several valuation officers later, they finally agreed to Band A in the week prior to the hearing. My advice: Persevere, put everything in writing, find out through VOA what other same or similar properties are banded at nearby and also list all detrimental factors which effect the property - airplanes, roads, building type and condition,pollution, lack of access to good transportation i.e. tubes, buses, high streets and compare these detrimental effects to those properties of a larger size or same size which are on lower, same or higher bands, to demand a fair rating.Martin - thanks again - if I ever meet up with you - drinks are on me.

RGN

Martin Thanks for your excellent services for the poor British citizen - there never was a more deserving candidate for a knighthood ! Reporting my success:
Local Borough Council:Hounslow
Council Tax Band Before:D
Council Tax Band After:A
Amount refunded:TBA
Annual saving going forward:£460

Appealed in November 2006 on obtaining a council flat, as the studio flat had same Band D rating as other 1,2 and 3 bed flats in council building, and asked for Band A rating - initially received letter advising matter couldn't be decided and Valuation Office arranged for one of their staff to visit and take measurements and meanwhile Valuation Tribunal advised date for hearing in Feb 2007. Valuation Officer then wrote advising they agreed studio ctax band should be reduced to Band B. However through using the Price Indexes of HBOS and Nationwide on local properties sold in recent years ( using the property actual selling prices web sites: ourproperty and nethouseprices) in the same building and locally, which were Band B, C or D(bandings on VOA site), but larger and indexed back to 1991 ( as well as stating other factors which affected the property value - with maps and photos) I argued for Band A. Valuation Office asked for postponement of hearing at last minute to consider evidence and hearing re-set for March 19 - Several valuation officers later, they finally agreed to Band A in the week prior to the hearing. My advice: Persevere, put everything in writing, find out through VOA what other same or similar properties are banded at nearby and also list all detrimental factors which effect the property - airplanes, roads, building type and condition,pollution, lack of access to good transportation i.e. tubes, buses, high streets and compare these detrimental effects to those properties of a larger size or same size which are on lower, same or higher bands, to demand a fair rating.Martin - thanks again - if I ever meet up with you - drinks are on me.

RGN

birchy1 wrote: »

:j http://img.moneysavingexpert.com/smilies/sport-smiley-001.gif
:j

I have been informed that my banding has been reduced from F to E.

I have contacted the local authority, Sefton, (the worst most reviled council in Britain )who say they have not as yet received information from VOA. They have said that refunding can take up to 4 weeks.

I have done a guesstimate of what I am going to get back based on last years council tax which was a difference of £286.

Assuming a increase of 10% year on year I have calculated that I should receive £2074.

Are we entitled to the CONSIDERABLE amount of interest that this money would have earned over the years?

I also contacted UNITED UTILITIES to see whether I am entitled to a refund of 13 years of overpayment of water / sewage charges (which are based on rateable value) I was told that they do not use banding information they use the OLD method of calculating rates pre 1990 / POLL TAX. Does anyone know if this is correct , or are UU spinning me a yarn to avoid coughing up to me and all other peoploe who have been overcharged for 13 years????

Birchy ( SOUTHPORT LANCASHIRE)

RE: UNITED UTILITIES WATER CHARGES
Best get hold of a copy of their "Detailed Explanation Charges Scheme" which should explain how the charges are set. e.g. Thames Water clearly state that water charges are set according to the average or rated value of the property.Details of their charges scheme should be on the United Utilities local web site. Water charges should be based on the Water Industry Act of 1991 so check that on the web as well, to see if Unitied Utilities are fobbing you off. Iintend to make a similar claim to Thames Water once our flat is officially rebanded by the council and will advise results.
Best wishes - RGN

RGN

RGN wrote: »

RE: UNITED UTILITIES WATER CHARGES
Best get hold of a copy of their "Detailed Explanation Charges Scheme" which should explain how the charges are set. e.g. Thames Water clearly state that water charges are set according to the average or rated value of the property.Details of their charges scheme should be on the United Utilities local web site. Water charges should be based on the Water Industry Act of 1991 so check that on the web as well, to see if Unitied Utilities are fobbing you off. Iintend to make a similar claim to Thames Water once our flat is officially rebanded by the council and will advise results.
Best wishes - RGN

SOME MORE INFO - RE: UNITED UTILITIES

The United Utilities web site states:
Unmetered customers
If you don't have a water meter you pay:
For water
A charge based on the rateable value of your property. You pay a set amount for each £ of rateable value*
A standing charge which covers costs related to customers such as sending bills and dealing with enquires and includes an amount which helps improve the balance between the charge you pay and the amount of water you use
For wastewater
A charge per £ of the rateable value* of your property, which includes a charge for dealing with surface water and highway drainage
You will find full details of the charges for the current year on your bill.
If you have enquiry about your bill, call 0845 746 1100
Textphone/minicom - 0808 143 1195

*As you don't have a water meter we base your charges on the rateable value of your property. All properties built before 1st April 1990 were given a rateable value by the Inland Revenue based on their size and value.

As rates disappeared in 1991 I can't see how a water utility company can unlaterally decide the rateable value of your house since 1991, which after all can only be set by your local government council.

Furthermore the Water Industry Act 1991 Section 145 states:
General restrictions on charging

Charging by reference to rateable value.
145.—(1) Charges and other amounts to which this section applies shall not, by virtue of anything contained—
(a) in this Chapter;
(b) in any local statutory provision;
(c) in any charges scheme under section 143 above; or
(d) in any agreement entered into on or after 1st September 1989,
be recoverable by a relevant undertaker from any person if they have been fixed wholly or partly by reference to a rating valuation list or are otherwise determined, whether directly or indirectly, by reference to any value or other amount specified at any time in such a list.

(2) This section applies to—
(a) charges in respect of any services provided at any time after the end of 31st March 2000 by a relevant undertaker in the course of carrying out its functions; and
(b) amounts of any other description which such an undertaker, in exercise of any power conferred by or under any enactment, requires any person to pay in respect of any period ending after that date or in respect of anything done after that date.
(3) In this section "rating valuation list" means a list which is or has at any time been maintained, for the purposes of rating, under section 41 or 52 of the [1988 c. 41.] Local Government Finance Act 1988, section 67 of the [1967 c. 9.] General Rate Act 1967 or any other enactment.

As I understand the above no water charges can be applied which are not based on a rateable system of property value. Since Council tax has been the "rateable" system since 1991, United Utilities must be basing their charges on council tax bands since the old rates ceased to exist in 1991. I'm not a legal expert so if there are any legal eagles or other knowledgeable persons out there, your input would be highly appreciated.
RGN

vikinggeoff

Local Borough Council: Birmingham
Council Tax Band Before:d
Council Tax Band After:C
Amount refunded:??
Annual saving going forward:??

I wrote to the Valuation Office stating, "I believe the council tax banding list is incorrect, as my house is in the wrong band, and I ask that it is corrected." 2 weeks later was informed "In light of the contents of your letter we have decided that the most approriate action is to raise a case to consider your concerns" never heard anything else for 5 weeks when I got the good news that Banding reduced from D to C and Effective date 1 April 1993.
When I find out the amount of the refund I will work out just how much each of those 24 words are worth almost certainly the most per word I have been paid

lubylwu

Thank you Martin and all on here. Just had a letter from VOA today to say band is incorrect and should be reduced from Band E to D. Awaiting confirmation notice from VOA and, hopefully a refund of overpayments.

Thanks for all the help and support from MSE's, without you I don't think I would have taken up the challenge. It was worth a few hours work to get a reduction, and the icing on the cake will be money back from the Council!

:T :j

mapleoak

Contacted VOA by phone February 1st, heard nothing until letter two weeks later, saying they needed to come out on 21st February to do a "Survey". Nice man came out with clipboard, asked a few questions, wasn't in the house for more than 5 mins, said he thought I had a "good case" and left. Heard nothing so rang last Wednesday, asked if they were any nearer considering my case. Spoke to nice man again, he said they were snowed under at the moment (I wonder why?) but mine was nearing the top and that he had pretty much decided what he was going to do - which was lower my banding from a D to a C!! Asked me how long I had been in the house (since April 2000) and just said he would notify the council in due course and I should here from them when they have "recalculated" my council tax. Don't know exactly what to expect but should be in the region of £1000, which is not bad for the price of a phone call. Just hope the council give me it back in one go as opposed to knocking it off next years bill as it won't seem the same if I haven't got a big fat cheque!

Anyway, will post again, if and when I get my refund. Thanks MSE!