Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

jenny_f

For our purchase in November 2011 it shows £46,398 (band
For the previous owners purchase in April 2006 it shows £48,457 (band

lincroft1710

Interesting that NW shows a 5% higher 1991 figure for the earlier sale

jenny_f

lincroft1710 - do you think that this is a bad sign that the earlier sale shows a 5% higher price for 1991?

The only work we have done on the property since we moved in is a new kitchen and new boiler - this shouldn't affect Council Tax though surely?

Not sure if we should try and get banded as a B - I think the risk of a D is minimal

lincroft1710

The percentage differential shows how difficult it is for the NW site to give an accurate figure,

Although the law is very clear that bands cannot be increased on account of works carried out by current owner I am not 100% certain whether such improvements can be included when valuing for CT when contemplating a band reduction. However for CT purposes these really would make little difference and one expects to see a modern kitchen and no-one looks at the boiler.

Unless there has been a complete !!!! up in the current banding or your house has a large extension built by a previous owner which has been missed, there is virtually no chance of an increase to a Band D.

jenny_f

Thanks lincroft. Just found out that the local library have sold documents for houses but none for my street.

What do I quote if I write a letter to try and get the band changed - I know I can't quote the Nationwide thing?

Personally, do you think we have a chance?

lincroft1710

Quote the average of the two NW figures and also the fact other houses in the street are Band B. Even though the NW figures may be inaccurate, they are a basis for you querying the band.

Chance? I could only offer 50/50. Still worth trying.

Surfer59

Last year, I discovered through the VOA website that my house was in band E and next door was band D; we're linked detached. I was outside the six month rule as we had moved into our house in 1991, when the valuations were done but before Council Tax was introduced, 1993. I did all the things that MSE suggested and wrote to my VOA. I also mentioned that the internet did not exist in 1993 so it wasn't easy to find out your neighbours tax band (not a normal topic of conversation, especially with our unfriendly neighbours of the time). Used the Nationwide calculator based on what we paid in 1991 and two properties in our road that sold recently; all came back as band D. The VOA replied that they would investigate and get back to me within two months. They rebanded me to band D and backdated the rebanding to April 1991! I got a refund of over £4000 and I'm now paying less council tax. I call that success for a couple of hours work and a first class stamp.

lynstar46

Borough Council: Mid Devon
Tax Band Before: D
Tax Band After: C
Total Refund: £2223.09
Annual Saving: £174.36

Whole exercise took almost 2 months for the valuation office and another 2 months for the billing authority. Well worth it for a 20 year backdate.:D

Sponge

I followed the MSE steps and got my request for a rebanding (B to A) rejected. They dismissed all of the points I raised in support of my request. :mad: (The VOA went as far as to say they were irrelevant.)

A few years later, last May, I sold my house and suggested the new owners have a go and do it within 6 months.

A couple of months later the new owners told us they'd been succesful and I later received a letter from the council informing me, as a previous owner, that I was entitled to a refund and asking how I wanted it paid! :j

It's going to take 15 working days to get the money, but it's worth the wait as it's nearly £2000! :money:

Edit: Still no sign of my money.

They said up to 15 working days. I called after 20 asking where my money was. It was still in their pile awaiting 'authorisation'. It could take another 10 working days. I should be able to claim interest. :mad:

cifpower

Leicester City Council
Band Before - B
Band Now - A
Amount refunded - TBC
Savings going forward - TBC

I moved in 11 July this year and, after looking online, notice my 1 bed flat was B but the 2 bed flat next door was A. So I challenged it online.

Had a Valuations Officer comes out Wednesday 4 September and she had the original plans with her. Looking at them, my flat was labelled "2" although it is "Flat A" and the 2 bed was labelled "1" even though it is "Flat B".

She said that mine would probably come down to A, and the other flat will go up to B.

Yesterday I finally received my initial council tax bill (Leicester Council is so slow - 2 months to produce a bill) and today I received my rebanding decision dated Thursday 5 September. It said mine had been rebanded to A dating back to 5 September 2007 and that when they amend the list I will receive another letter. Probably be this time next year that Leicester amend my bill!