Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

TonyStewart

Thank you Martin for your guidence, it worked for us!
Local Borough Council: Hull East Yorkshire
Council Tax Band Before:Band C
Council Tax Band After:Band B
Amount refunded:£3,220 backdated to 2002

We moved into our property in Sept 2002 and at that time initially contacted the council about our band C banding as some neighbors were in lower bands but they suggested our banding was accurate and may even go up if we challenged it!
20 years later after reading the information on your website we submitted a claim and supporting evidence in December 2022 requesting our banding to be lowered from band C.
After waiting 3 months we received a letter stating that our banding was correct and no reduction would be made, the letter made no reference to the reams of evidence that we had provided and to be honest, infuriated us as ours was a clear-cut case clearly documented by the evidence we had submitted.
Determined and undeterred we then appealed stating that no reference or consideration to the evidence we had supplied had been given and had to wait a further 3 months and after numerous phone calls to chase the claim we finally received a letter to confirm our banding had been reduced from band C to band B which is approximately a £220 annual saving. In addition to the saving, we received £3220 in backdated payments back to the time when we purchased the property in 2002.
Overall the process has taken 7 months from the point of submission to receiving the backdated money back in the bank. 
The advice we would give to anyone is that the evidence supplied has to be detailed and comprehensive, You have to be totally determined and do not take no for an answer if you wholeheartedly believe you are right.
During the telephone conversations, all sorts of smokescreens were thrown at us to deter us suggesting the higher banding was due to the size of our property, the number of bathrooms, outhouses, etc but we just kept clarifying their own rules to them stating that the banding is solely based on the value of our property in April 1991 and nothing else. 
Our next step is to contact the council further to discuss a compact interest payment for the additional money they have wrongly held in the accounts for the 20-year due to their incorrect banding and whilst we understand there is no case in law for the council to refund interest we feel there is still a case for the ombudsman to consider as we would have received interest of the £3220 had it been in our bank over the 20-year period. 
Good luck everyone and stick to your guns if you firmly believe you have a case for review.    

lincroft1710

TonyStewart said:

  
Our next step is to contact the council further to discuss a compact interest payment for the additional money they have wrongly held in the accounts for the 20-year due to their incorrect banding and whilst we understand there is no case in law for the council to refund interest we feel there is still a case for the ombudsman to consider as we would have received interest of the £3220 had it been in our bank over the 20-year period. 
Good luck everyone and stick to your guns if you firmly believe you have a case for review.    

It was the VOA (part of HMRC) who were responsible for both getting the band wrong originally and correcting the error, not the council. Also the £3220 would only have been in your bank a/c at the end of 20 years.

sachm0

Local Borough Council: Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded: £1,200

Pretty straightforward - managed to find the price of the house in 1991 or thereabouts on on Land Registry and a bunch of comparables nearby that were on the lower band and they sorted it without any complaint!

powerbarge

Local Borough Council: Amber Valley, Derbyshire

Council Tax Band Before: E

Council Tax Band After: D

Amount refunded: ~£500

We moved into a new build in 2022 and were shocked to find the property was banded as E. After researching similar local properties, which were band D, I challenged this with the council and provided some addresses as evidence. This was initially rejected as the size of our property was allegedly around 10-15% bigger than the example properties given. 

After some back and forth, it transpired that the reduced covered area for our property had been reported incorrectly, and was recorded as around 12% bigger than reality. I provided photographic evidence and plans of the measurements of our property,  and got this corrected, and reduced down to band D, with a refund being provided in the way of a few "free" council tax months.

Bourne_mouthy

Local Council: Wiltshire
Band before appeal: E
Revised Band after long-winded process: D
Amount Refunded to us: £5000 approx for 13 years overpaid
To 3 very happy  immediate neighbours: c£25k in total for 30 years overpaid

We had no idea we had been paying too much Council tax since we moved into our home in 2009, or that it was possible to get a band changed, until a family member from afar told us of his success and subsequent refund. Following his news, we started investigating our own situation, and it very quickly became obvious that our Band E classification was too high in comparison to many neighbouring properties. Not only ourselves, but also our 3 immediate neighbours had all been lumped into Band E, with no justification whatsoever. Using the price comparison tool and recent sales values of 2 of the 4 houses, we were sure that the true picture was that we all should be on the threshold of Bands C & D, and being in E was way off the mark.
We then began the appeal process, but as we'd resided at the address for about 12 years at that point, we could only make an informal appeal. Despite sending details of multiple, higher-value properties in lower bands in the local area, the VOA came up with all the usual excuses to reject our appeal; different type, different size, different age, insufficient evidence etc. So, back to the drawing board we went, came up with another "nailed-on" selection of local homes, and produced charts showing the sold price of every single Semi-D house on the Land Registry in our postcode (first 4 characters) since it went public, which clearly showed the banding error. The recent sold prices of 2 neighbours' houses were more in line with Band B sales! We were confident that this time, the VOA couldn't possibly dispute that we were right, and had supplied strong evidence to back it up. We even invited them to come and pay us a visit, as it would soon be blindingly obvious to them that our band was too high.
Naturally, the VOA once again rejected our appeal, because that would appear to be their purpose in life. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement! We felt that we had reached the end of the road with this process, and would be left frustrated, and out of pocket. Then, a "lightbulb moment".
A few months prior, a new tenant had moved into the house next door to us. After a brief conversation, we established that they were still within the 6-month window of newness, and as such, they were in a stronger position than us as they could ask for a formal review of the banding. We reassured them that we already had all the evidence they would need to make an appeal - the difference being that this time, once the VOA had routinely dismissed their appeal, they would be able to request a Tribunal.
And so it came to pass, our neighbours lodged their appeal, and the VOA duly rejected it. Do they actually even look at the evidence? This time, however, the option to request a Tribunal was still open, and that was the next step. Tribunal requested with us acting on their behalf, several months passed, and the Bee in our Bonnet had stopped buzzing. 
Almost 6 months later, and finally a date is set for the tribunal hearing. Oh heck, we declared! Now, we need to find even more conclusive proof to finally win this case, we thought. How can we do that? We had nothing more to give! And then..........
Out of the blue, an email is received from a case worker at the VOA, with an offer to reduce the CT Band of our neighbour's house from E to D, provided they/we were willing to cancel the Tribunal. We immediately asked if the VOA would therefore also review the band on the other 3 houses, which they confirmed would be the case, and on the back of that, accepted the deal on the table! 

Sorry this a bit long and rambling, but there are a few conclusions to draw here:
1) don't give up
2) if at all possible, try and make a formal appeal (use a new resident if you can find one suitable!)
3) The VOA obviously don't want the time/cost/work involved with tribunals, so your position will be much stronger if you can get to that scenario.
Good luck!

Thank you MSE!

simonslr2

Local Borough Council: Warrington, Cheshire
Council Tax Band Before: G
Council Tax Band After: F
Annual saving: £460
Amount refunded: n/a

Council tax band seemed high based on other properties on the same street. However, properties are all different. Did lots of research on property values on houses with as close a match as possible and submitted case based on that. Also looked at historic sold prices of my house going back to 1991. Submitted case and 3 months later - success! 

No refund as only moved into the house in June and they have not billed any council tax yet. But will now pay band F rather than G from my move I  date saving me £460 a year. 

thara1996

Heya.  

Thanks for all your uplifting stories about challenging your council tax band. It is not recommended if all the houses or flats on one road in Britain are all the same band. And yes I’ve checked this online in addition to be sure. Best wishes. 

So this is my key advice instead. Make sure that you know what tax band you are in and the type of neighbours that you have as well. Also see if you can manage to find out what the house in question here originally cost to purchase too. Do try to talk to a few of the neighbours. You can find out more online. 

lincroft1710

thara1996 said:

Heya.  

Thanks for all your uplifting stories about challenging your council tax band. It is not recommended if all the houses or flats on one road in Britain are all the same band. And yes I’ve checked this online in addition to be sure. Best wishes. 

So this is my key advice instead. Make sure that you know what tax band you are in and the type of neighbours that you have as well. Also see if you can manage to find out what the house in question here originally cost to purchase too. Do try to talk to a few of the neighbours. You can find out more online. 

Unless it is a council built estate of identical houses or a block of identical flats it is most unlikely that all bands in a road will be the same,


There is not much point in finding out what a house originally cost to buy if it was built in 1936 for example! In England (and Scotland) only sale prices from 1990 - 1992 are of any use or relevance.

mma23

Local Borough Council: Haringey, London
Council Tax Band Before: G
Council Tax Band After: F
Annual saving: £400
Amount refunded: £6,700

I have just received a huge refund for overpayment of Council Tax dating back to 1998.  Thank you Martin and the advice you gave on your forum. 

I have lived in my house in London for almost 40 years. When the Council Tax was introduced, and my house was placed in band G (price over £160k) I felt unfairly charged, but, like many people, I did not think there was anything I could do about it. I had paid £75k for my house a couple of years earlier. 

After a few years my neighbour told me he had successfully challenged the band and had it reduced. I had ‘intended’ to do something about it but my lack of confidence in the process, together with my lack of organisation, meant I did not do it. I then rented the property out to students for three years and they were on zero rating for Council Tax. 

I returned to living in my house in 1998 and I am still there now. Every year the bill came in, I knew I was being overcharged, but I still did nothing. 

Earlier this year, in June, I read Martin’s post about it on MSE. I knew I had to act. I scored highly against Martin’s 4-stage check list and knew I had a case. My house was the only house in the street in Band G. All the others were F (or lower). My first challenge was rejected with a cursory comment but I responded that my immediate neighbour was Band F and they replied agreeing that there was a case. Months went by and I heard nothing but I took it that it was a good sign. They would have been quick to reply if they knew they were right, I reasoned to myself!
Then at the beginning of October they confirmed I had been overcharged and that I would be dropped a band. They confirmed that I would not have to pay any more this year (saving £1000, as I had three payments of £330 to go this year) and a refund of £6,700 for the 25 years of overpayment. 

Two days ago, the money reached my bank account. What a result!  

russ281

Hi all,
I'm after a bit of advice before I take the plunge and challenge. 
I live on a road of 21 pretty identical houses. 6x band D. 15x band E (including me).
I've done the 1991 valuation calculation and they all come out at band D (with 2 exceptions).
However, when starting a claim on the gov.uk website it clearly states it won't take this type of evidence. I'm a bit unclear on what other evidence I can give (beyond the neighbour check that shows the disparity in current bands).
Any advice on what evidence can be used/will work would be appreciated!