Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

velocette18

Over 14 months ago we had someone knocking on door offering to claim on council tax banding for a fee of half the repayment. Discovered that 5 other bungalows on Band D locally identical to ours, whereas we had been on \Band E for 30 years. One phone call, 10 weeks later we had refund of over £4700 - put the money towards the new bathroom we had been thinking about. Before I made the initial phone call to Valuation office checked this site. Thanks Martin
Received a phone call yesterday, someone offering to do same as above 14 months later, I checked our Council Tax banding on website and it is correct now. Obviously this company starting the rounds again.

healthwealth

A big thank you to MSE team and all the others on here for giving me the confidence to make a claim about my council tax banding.

I called the VO and spoke to a very helpful gentleman. He said it could take 8 weeks to look into my claim. It took 7 weeks and 3 days! But the result was worth the effort! 13 years of refund are on their way to me. Although when I phoned my council they suggested I could 'carry the credit forward to pay for this year!' I passed on that one, and refund will be paid into my bank account.
It amounts to £2,700 and I am totally delighted.

Thank you thank you thank you!! :j

reporter

After reading your article about the random nature of council tax bandings I used your calculation tools to check my rating.

What a great 5 minutes that turned out to be!

It showed that since the outset we have been in a tax band above the majority of our neighbours.

A quick call to the rating office confirmed the mistake and they promised to investigate. It took another phone call to prompt that investigation, and a wait for this year's rating assessments to be calculated, but lo and behold today we have had £4593 refunded to our account (no doubt to be shared by ourselves and this year assessment) but what a wonderful result from your advice.

Many thanks.

balf

Just got £4500 back from Halton Council.

Just asking, has anyone tried to get a refund on water charges that were based on the rates charge from 1993?

Or am I a greedy s..

David.

lincroft1710

balf wrote: »

Just asking, has anyone tried to get a refund on water charges that were based on the rates charge from 1993?

The old rating system, which water authorities used for calculating non metered water charges was abolished in 1990 and entries therein cannot be altered. It has no connection with CT, so a reduced CT band will not affect a non metered water charge.

lincroft1710

dannyarcher wrote: »

Got a call from a company today? Something Marketing, am in the wrong tax bracket, my next door used a different company last time, and got some money back, couple of issues, why didn't the council tell me, that i could claim? apparently i could get thousands, but i think i will try it myself, and see how it goes, will keep reading to see how it is done, i am annoyed that council should automatically tell you, and not make us chase them, what a CON.

The council have nothing to do with the banding of property, that is dealt with by the Valuation Office Agency, part of HMRC. The literature which accompanies your CT bill should state that you can query your band and to contact the VOA

Well Done, am gonna do the same now, but i had to get a call from a company for this to happen? My Next door got a cheque, but because the computer systems where only introduced in 2005, they had a company contact them again to go look in to paper records, and then the got a further £2900, total of £4800, council don't tell you, but a company helped them and kept £200 for fees, which is worth the hassle i think. but i will try to do it myself, and see how it goes, My next doors got a surveyor out to do this for them.

The vast majority of council taxpayers do it themselves

What is this water charges thing?

See post #1597, not connected to CT band (unless you're in Scotland)

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Dedicated76

Hi there
I'm new to this site hoping to get a bit of advice regarding a council tax refund. I received a letter today informing me of my current charges and benefits etc. I am in receipt of a reduction on my bill but somehow managed to become £315.00 in credit. I have called them today and they said it was correct they do owe me this money. That it's a very slow process and it could take anything from 6 weeks plus for me to receive a cheque. Is it really such a slow process or is there a way to get my money back a little sooner than this?
I don't think my refund is due to banding, just an over payment on my behalf.
Thank you

Dedicated76

Oops just read it's for success stories only! :rotfl:

Galwaygirl

Hinckley and Bosworth borough council - Leics
band before- G
Band after- F

Successfully challenged. Made one phone call to the VOA in late Jan, they took some details over the phone and I got a letter yesterday to say it was rebranded down, effective since 2001! Have rung council office this morning and the money (approx£3,000) will be in my account on Monday!
Interestingly the council will also get in touch with past owners of the house to refund them as well:money:beer::beer:

Many many thanks to all the team at MoneysavingExpert:T

another_martin_admirer

Local Borough Council: Cotswold District Council
Council Tax Band Before:G
Council Tax Band After:F
Amount refunded:£1882
Annual saving going forward:£360

Thanks to Martins website I have today received a letter from my council confirming a lowering of my band. My house was the only one in the road of 10 or so houses that had a G banding whereas most of the others were F or lower. Realised this was due to a large extension being built in 1988 (we didn't move here until 2008) when none of the other properties had been extended. Most of them have now but only since 1992 after the last national valuation farce in 1991 highlighted by Martin on his website. Delighted with the outcome and well worth the single letter that I had to send to the Valuation Office in Southampton asking for a rebanding

Thank you Martin

David