Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

frugalpam

Local Council: Sefton
Band Previously: E
Band amended to: D

- not sure yet what the savings / amount refunded come to.
I'd discovered a friend of mine was on a band higher than her semi-detached neighbour, so persuaded her to ask for a reassessment. She made one call to the VOA who came out a couple of weeks later, and bingo - she was put down a band, backdated to 1/4/93 !!
I'm still trying to get my own house re-banded from C to B, but it's not looking too hopeful. Am pleased for my friend though!

Pam

Maisie

frugalpam wrote: »

Local Council: Sefton
Band Previously: E
Band amended to: D

- not sure yet what the savings / amount refunded come to.
I'd discovered a friend of mine was on a band higher than her semi-detached neighbour, so persuaded her to ask for a reassessment. She made one call to the VOA who came out a couple of weeks later, and bingo - she was put down a band, backdated to 1/4/93 !!
I'm still trying to get my own house re-banded from C to B, but it's not looking too hopeful. Am pleased for my friend though!
Pam

Pam .seeing your name thought you had got your rebanding at long last. What a shame.

Pleased for your friend though.

Maisie

Stuart_V

Many Thanks Martin for a great result!
South Somerset District Council
From Band E
To Band D wef April 1993!
Refund £1775
Annual Difference this year 2007 - £308.

I followed your master plan, and was surprised how much evidence that I could amass. The Valuation Office & Council were extremely polite and admitted a category B mistake (the original 'back of a fag pack' estimate was incorrect).

Struart V

animar

Just wanted to report a success. I followed the article about getting my banding changed and submitted my request. I got a letter back a little while later saying that I didn't qualify but that my request would be passed on to the relevant dept at the council to look into changing my band. I then recieved a letter to say that it had been revalued and went down from Band B to Band C, and that I qualified for a refund of almost £700. Thanks Martin. I am chuffed. :j :j

Polski_2

Bolsover District Council
From Band E
To Band D
Refund £2255
Annual Difference this year 2007 - £310.

We applied for the re-assessment in January and have just received confirmation that the property has successfully been downgraded. We didn't even have a visit from anyone to value the property though, none of the houses on our street are the same but most have similar plot size and we were the only property in band E. Most of the other properties were Band C and a few Band D.
I'm wondering now if it's worth applying for a water rate rebate since the downgrading ought to have an effect on the rateable value of the property.

Many thanks

gilk3

can you please advise i also contacted southlanarkshire council in Jan and i received acknowledgment letter and then nothing i called them today and they told be that it will be invalid due to this 6 months rule can you please help thanks

saintlin wrote: »

:j I used Martin's site after seeing the Tonight programme. It seemed to show we were wrongly banded in band C instead of B. In our street properties with one more bedroom than us were the same band as we were and my next door neighbour (same house exactly) was in band B. I also checked the street behind us as they are the same type and the houses the same size as mine were in Band B.
I applied in writing and sent the letter recorded delivery to the assessor for the local authority in my area(Perth & Kinross Council). I didn't get any response and phoned to ask when they would look into it. They told me they had been inundated with enquiries after the programme and I eventually got a visit to have the property checked out. They tried to tell me at first that as it was more than 6 months it was too late to appeal in this way but armed with the knowledge gained through Martin's site I felt confident we had a case.
I have just received a letter today (after quite a few phone calls!) to say they have upheld our claim and our over payment will be backdated to 1 April 1993! It has been passed to the local authority council tax section who work out the amount but I think it will be approx., £2,000.00!! Thanks martin will be using your site from now on what a great feeling it is to get money rather than be paying out all the time.:T

Perth & Kinross Council
Band C
now Band B
pending (approx 2,000.00)
saving this year 150.00

1inTheEye

Local Borough Council: LB Enfield
Council Tax Band Before: D
Council Tax Band After: C
Amount refunded: £799.51
Annual saving going forward: £148.51

Saw Martins original publicity a while back but didnt act on it (doh). Neighbour few doors down prompted me to spring into action. All it took was phonecall to valuations office. Explanation of why I was appealing, "majority of the surrounding properties are on C!" gave explanation of how many rooms in house etc. Followed up with phone call 2/3 weeks l8tr and the approx 2 weeks after phone call received letter saying rebanded and backdated to 1993. My refund only since 2000 but not to be sniffed at all the same.

Rang council same day as received letter to enquire as to what next....they'd already credited current years account!! Promptly advised i'll take a cheque thank you very much and am currently waiting for them to show me the money. :T

:beer: Cheers Martin, word cannot express how good this feels.

robinlawrie

Local Borough Council: Wansbeck
Council Tax Band Before: D
Council Tax Band After: C
Amount refunded: £1400

Everyone should try this, it was really very simple to appeal. The local valuation office (Alnwick) was very supportive and really did all the work once we set the ball rolling.
Wansbeck council however went down kicking and yelling ( We were, they said, just jumping on the band-waggon...why had we not appealed in 1993?...their records only went back to 1999.
Here again the valuation office stepped in and must have tore a strip from Wansbeck Council rates dept as a cheque for the full itemised amount arrived within a day or 2. No apology for cocking things up in the first place, and what I want to know is this; if it is supposed, these councils have been incorrectly taking our cash for umpteen years, where is the lost interest? I suppose we are to be grateful that we lucky few have been thrown crumbs from the tables of these councils but all the same...whats right is right.

annemac_3

Local Council: Aylesbury Vale
Council Tax Band Before: F
Council Tax Band After: E
Amount refunded: £2023
Annual saving going forward: c. £300

I wrote to the valuations office with details of neighbours' houses in the lower band, and the fact that the value of my house in 1991 puts mine in the lower band. They advised me it would take 2 months to process (they are getting a lot of these requests apparently!) - at the end of 2 months I spoke to the office and they confirmed the house had been rebanded and on the same day I got a cheque for part of the council tax refund - they have written off the rest of this year's payments to cover the rest. No quibbling whatsoever.
Cheers Martin!:j

robinlawrie

Hi,
Looks like your council is trying to fob you off with short payment as mine did. Mine said they could only go back to 1999 as this was when their records started....Once I contacted my rating office again, they suddenly found the missing years and paid up. Good Luck

1inTheEye wrote: »

Local Borough Council: LB Enfield
Council Tax Band Before: D
Council Tax Band After: C
Amount refunded: £799.51
Annual saving going forward: £148.51

Saw Martins original publicity a while back but didnt act on it (doh). Neighbour few doors down prompted me to spring into action. All it took was phonecall to valuations office. Explanation of why I was appealing, "majority of the surrounding properties are on C!" gave explanation of how many rooms in house etc. Followed up with phone call 2/3 weeks l8tr and the approx 2 weeks after phone call received letter saying rebanded and backdated to 1993. My refund only since 2000 but not to be sniffed at all the same.

Rang council same day as received letter to enquire as to what next....they'd already credited current years account!! Promptly advised i'll take a cheque thank you very much and am currently waiting for them to show me the money. :T

:beer: Cheers Martin, word cannot express how good this feels.