Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

climbersteve

Purbeck District Council
Band Previously E
New band D
annual saving £300
Refund £3200

Thanks guys. After going it alone a few years ago and failing to be rebanded I followed the instructions on here and tried again.

I was intially refused, but after a long phone call to the VOA (very helpful people) they changed their maind and reduced my banding. Now I'm a band D just like all the other semi-detached identically designed houses on my road!!!

:beer:

johnk

climbersteve wrote: »

Purbeck District Council
Band Previously E
New band D
annual saving £300
Refund £3200

Thanks guys. After going it alone a few years ago and failing to be rebanded I followed the instructions on here and tried again.

I was intially refused, but after a long phone call to the VOA (very helpful people) they changed their maind and reduced my banding. Now I'm a band D just like all the other semi-detached identically designed houses on my road!!!
:beer:

What was the reason they rejected you, if your house is the same as other D band houses on your road?

I got rejected even though same designed house on my street is in lower band them mine. The reason is that I have a garage but they don't, even though the size overall is nearly the same:-(

lincroft1710

johnk wrote: »

I got rejected even though same designed house on my street is in lower band them mine. The reason is that I have a garage but they don't, even though the size overall is nearly the same:-(

It is usually space for a garage rather than the garage building which makes the difference, although the building can make a difference. It all depends on the Apr 1991 value which can put houses with garage/space in different band from those without, but in some cases in the same band.

Fishtank

Local Borough Council: South Glos Council
Was Band B
Now Band A
Refund £1331.50
Annual Saving £167

After checking local properties on MSE site link I found that my flat in a block of 6 was band B and the others all Band A.

I had a brief telephone conversation with the valuations office and stated my case and waited to hear back. In less than three weeks I had received a letter from the VO re-banding my property and a day later a letter from the council confirming my refund which was back dated to 2003 when I first moved in and the money had already been paid into my bank account.

Such a simple process...so glad I checked! :rotfl:

mistyrosie

Local Borough Council: Durham
Council Tax Band Before:Band E
Council Tax Band After:Band D
Amount refunded:£4,144.00:D
Annual saving £349.00:D

Thanks Martin !!

Followed your step by step guide could not believe how easy it all was, expected some hassle, VOA officer couldn't have been nicer, after 4 weeks she rang me to say she was reviewing my case, week later she rang to say yes I could drop down a band within 2 weeks cash was in the bank, makes a change Government office giving you money back !

IsabelT

I live on a long un adopted road in SE Kent with mostly 4 bed detached house only a few semis, all the houses are different. We moved there in 1997 and paid £128,500 the property is a 4bed detached at the time of us buying I queried the band and someone came out to look and I believe the letter I received from the VOA stated as it need to updating once done they believed the house was in the right band.
Stupidly I did not take it any further.

I was looking on this site to find this forum and I have checked my Council Tax and the 4 bed detached around me are in Band F where I am a G!
I have gone through the VOA site to appeal stating that the price I paid in 1997 would make this house in an F band and also stated neighbouring properties all four bed detached in band F.

I have got a reply basically stating that they do not agree with a different valuation..and from reading some postings on the site it would seem that it a set type of letter.

1. The problem is that as there is no other property that’s the same as ours in the road, lots of four beds detached! Some bigger, some with smaller gardens, but all different.

2. I have looked on a site for its value in 1991 for the south east England it states £117,000 but when I have quoted that in my letter to VOA it has stated that “House price sites cover a wide geographical area so this is not accurate”

I have looked at the house prices sites for when I brought mine in 1997, to tried to do a comparison and houses that where brought for more money than mine in 1997 where in a band F (my way of thinking if they cost more they are bigger) some have 6 bedsrooms! I have got a list of them around me all lower banding than mine, but I feel that if I tell the VOA about these all they will say is that they where smaller properties and had extensions or they have appealed and had the banding lowered.

Also they are satisfied that mine is right and they will consider the banding of the others properties need to be increased..if that's the case nearly the whole road will have to be reviewed!

I have even gone to a local Estate agents to see if they have any old documentation on house sales in 1991, unfortunately not!

Can anyone give advice on what to do now? As I have left it once and don’t ant to do it again but am nervous of going to appeal.
I want to put as much evidence forward as possible but I restricted as I cannot get prices for 1991..what else can I do?

Cholin

Local Borough Council: Harrow
Council Tax Band Before:E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded:£3243
Annual saving going forward: £332

Couldn't have been easier and would have never have known it was possible without Martin and MSE.com! :T

Have also been trying to reclaim interest but that's proving more difficult, even finding someone who is able to say yes or no.

Elizabeth_T

Local Borough Council: Medway
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded: £2970
Annual saving going forward: about £250

Thank you so much for making the process so clear. Found that neighbours with the same house designs were on the lower band and queried this - took less than a month to be rebanded and receive the cheque. Another neighbour has also had her house rebanded and should receive her cheque soon - the local authority did this automatically for her on the strength of my query. She is also delighted!


Very happy!

dadoronron

Local Council: Chichester
Council Tax Band Before: D
Council Tax Band After: C
Amount refunded: £1855
Annual saving going forward: £164+


I have had a letter from the VOA to say that my Council Tax band is being changed from D to C. Big thanks go to my daughter's boyfriend in helping me to compose the letter to get the reassessment.:j

kmom

East Dunbartonshire
Council Tax Before: E
Council Tax After: D
Amount refunded: ~£2500 :j
Annual saving going forward: ~£350

Moved in 2003. About a year ago found out from Scottish Assessors web site that most houses in my street (32 out of 40) were banded D, including my immediate neighbours, whereas I was band E. All houses are 3-bed semis. Some of the band Es have extensions, some are larger plots, mine has neither of these.

Called Assessors and they said to lodge my reband proposal via their web site.
Got a letter to say my proposal was invalid as it was outwith the 6 month period since becoming the tax payer, in addition the letter said they had looked at my property and were happy the E banding was appropriate.
Normally I would have just accepted this, but having read various success stories on MSE web site I decided to take if further.

I replied stating reasons why I thought I should be band D. I then received a letter saying that they had rejected my appeal - as I had an invalid proposal - and that it would go to tribunal hearing.

It was a few months later when I received a letter detailing my hearing date. Was a bit nervous about this. The accompanying booklet suggested I contact the assessor prior to the hearing in the hope a resolution could be reached without the need for a hearing. I contacted the Assessors office, the Assessor dealing with my case came out to visit. She took some notes, had a look round my house and at the outside of the neighbouring properties (both Band D). She was very nice and professional. She said that she would go back re-look at the case and get back to me.

One week later, she called to say I would be rebanded as D and this would be backdated to when I moved in. Couple of weeks later I received refund from Council.

Great Result!!!
Was so relieved I didnt have to go to hearing as I had been told during the visit from the Assessor that the evidence I had gathered, e.g. google map property aerial pictures and house prices would not have been taken into consideration as the appeal hearing was to do with the invalidity of the proposal i.e. I would have had to argue why I hadn't raised my proposal within the 6 month period from moving in.


:TThanks MSE, have just registered so I could post this success story and hopefully give some encouragement to others.