Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

la23hin

Local Borough Council:South staffs
Council Tax Band Before:Band D
Council Tax Band After:Band C
Amount refunded £570


took 6 weeks really easy

thanks to everyone

Regina_2

Local Borough Council: Three Rivers
Council Tax Band Before: C
Council Tax Band After:B
Amount refunded: £36.47
Annual saving going forward: £169.97

After reading Martin's email on incorrect banding of properties. I checked the my neighbours banding on the VOA website and found that they were banded B while I was banded C. I wrote a letter with the information found and following just 2 follow up telephone calls I received a letter confirming the change in banding from a C to a B within approx. 4 weeks of my initial letter.

As a recent first time buyer this saving is a god send!

Thanks again Martin.

jmike_2

Many thanks for your excellent site and advice, following which has had the result below:-

Council: Sedgemoor District
Band before: E
Band after: D
Amount refunded: c£2,600
Annual saving: c£300

I bought the house For £39,500 in Q4/1983 and for some reason did not challenge the banding when CT was introduced.

Having read your article I calculated, using the Nationwide HPI details, that the theoretical value at Q1/1991 was some 10% below the lower Band E threshold. A chech with the Halifax HPI gave a similar result.

I phoned the local VOA and asked what procedures they required me to take to instigate a review on the basis of the above calculations. They took the details and told me that I would be contacted, probably within eight weeks,with a view to their making an inspection of the property to enable them to consider the matter further.

Six weeks later, no contact having been made, I received a Notice of Alteration to an Existing Entry in the Valuation List from Band E to Band D on the grounds of ;.....clerical or valuation error' with effect from 1 April 1993.

In a conversation with Sedgemoor Council Tax department they confirmed that a refund would be forthcoming for the 14 years' overpayment and offered the choice between the full amount and a lesser amount with no CT to pay in 2007/08. I chose the full amount.

Today, one working day later, I received a letter from SDC informing me that £2,608 was to be refunded.

Again many thanks for the advice without which I would probably have continued grumbling about the cost and done nothing!

debyluann

Local Borough Council: Wolverhampton
Council Tax Band Before: D
Council Tax Band After: C
Amount refunded: ? £500-£600
Annual saving going forward: £250 saving per year

Hi everyone, another success story - as directed on this website i followed the instructions and within 4 weeks was notified of our reduced band from a D to a C, and the reason for the reduction was that it was an adminstration error back in 1991. We moved in the house in 2003 and are now awaiting a cheque from the listing office for the above amount. Thanks.;)

Gizaclue

Local council- Walsall, West Midlands.
Original Band, B
Now band A
Refunded £1366.09
Ongoing saving £153.00



Filled in form on line, had a reply saying I was not entitled, as it was longer than 6 Months, but VOA officer said he would look into it, Two weeks later I had a phone call to say that the VOA officer was going to drive past my house, (not call) to look for himself, two weeks after that ,a letter arrived telling me my banding had been altered to band A. A further two weeks & a nice cheque popped through my letterbox.14 years refund. Thanks to Martin & everyone involved.:beer:

Graham.p_2

Local Borough Council: Harlow
Council Tax Band Before: G
Council Tax Band After: F
Amount refunded: £2175.59

Yes, I know that's a lot of money and thanks a lot to Martin, BUT, the Valuation Officer backdated the valuation to 1993 and, as we are now in 2007, I make that 13 years and my local authority have backdated the overpayments to year 1998/9 (Nine years)! Can they do that? Well, they have so what redress do I have for the approx £1000 that I have overpaid and have not had reimbursed? BTW I have lived here since 1973..

My current year has been downsized from £ 2359 to £2044 - great!

Graham.p_2

Chuffy wrote: »

Mate at work, was band B, now A via Doncaster MBC.
CTax are only backdating band change to 2004 and saying will have to appeal against it. Lived there since 2000.

Anyone got any experience or knowledge of legislation covering this?

Had any responses to this, Chuffy? I'm in a similar situation so would welcome any advice.
Graham-p

scorpiostar

Local Borough Council: Kensington & Chelsea
Council Tax Band Before: G
Council Tax Band After: F
Amount refunded: awaiting good news! Rebate will be back-dated to 2000.

After reading the article, I phoned my local council and was told there was no question I would be rebanded because "this is The Royal Borough"!!!!! I emailed the Valuation Officer directly and, after a brief visit to measure our flat, the letter stating we'd been moved from band G to band F arrived.
Thanks for the information - I wouldn't have pressed ahead after the initial phone call without it.

Graham.p_2

scorpiostar wrote: »

Local Borough Council: Kensington & Chelsea
Council Tax Band Before: G
Council Tax Band After: F
Amount refunded: awaiting good news! Rebate will be back-dated to 2000.

After reading the article, I phoned my local council and was told there was no question I would be rebanded because "this is The Royal Borough"!!!!! I emailed the Valuation Officer directly and, after a brief visit to measure our flat, the letter stating we'd been moved from band G to band F arrived.
Thanks for the information - I wouldn't have pressed ahead after the initial phone call without it.

Why 2000? Is that when you moved there? Anyway, good result

A_Knighton

We have just had confirmation from Bolsover Council that they will be refunding us £2,138.78 next Wednesday as a result of being downgraded from a band F to a band D, having only become convinced we were in the wrong band through Martin Lewis's articles in the press and on TV a couple of months ago. All it took was a couple of letters and an hour on the internet checking neighbours' bandings - we also have an ongoing benefit of a reduction in council tax of around £640 for 2007/08 which will be ongoing.