Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

Passedit_2

North Lincolnshire
Band before: D
Band after: C
Amount refunded: £1252.28
Ongoing savings: ~£150.00/year

I checked the banding of similar houses in my area and found them to all be in band C. I phoned the local VOA office and explained my suspicions. They said they would look into it and would let me know within two months. Eight weeks later I received a letter to say that they agreed with me and five days after that a cheque from the council arrived for all my over payments for the previous ten years.

Thanks Martin, this was easy.

Maisie

carole38 wrote: »

Glasgow City Council
Old Band C
New Band B
Have received an offer to reduce band but also a refusal to compensation as my proposal was invalid because it was not made within the period laid down by statute.
I have four weeks to appeal does anyone have successful claims against GCC as I have basically been overcharged for over twelve years.

Carole38 Look at the council tax 'discussion' thread. There's loads of information and good advice on there.

Those letters are standard ones sent by voa when you appeal after 6 months. You'll find help as what to do next on the discussion thread.

Maisie. Original poster council tax thread.

ledley_king

I moved house 10 years ago and saw the article on council tax banding. When I contacted Coventry City Council they told me I wasn't entitled to a reassessment as I had no legal position regarding the property. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Are they trying to put me off the scent?

Thanks

Neil

Keith1956

Local Borough Council: Epsom and Ewell
Council Tax Band Before: G
Council Tax Band After: F
Amount refunded: £2,495 + £563 in interest

I successfully had my Council Tax band altered after noticing this website and the great advice. I used the VOA web site to find out the bandings of similar houses to mine in nearby roads on my estate. I found that 11 of my style of house were in Band G and 39 were in Band F. I put this evidence to the VOA. The first letter I received said I must appeal to the Tribunal and that I was over the 6 month time period. In the same post I received another letter agreeing with my findings and that the band would be lowered. I contacted the council for the refund (back to 1993) and they were very quick in sending a cheque.

I asked about the interest on my money. (I haven't noticed other people here following this up. Has anyone had success!)

The council refered me to the VOA. I wrote again to the Service Manager at the VOA office. She refused my claim (using poorly researched "facts") and I am now in contact with the Chief Executive’s Office of the VOA. The caseworker there told me that if the VOA admitted that they made a mistake back in 1993 then I would receive compensation. The caseworker was of the opinion a mistake was made. I'll find out shortly what their final decision is. I am very hopeful of success.

Update: I have just received a cheque for £563 in payment of interest from the Chief Executive’s Office. What a result!

As it says on many of the other posts - don't give up. The VOA and Council letters do not tell you the next step you can take. But there usually is one, ask for a supervisor or manager to check your case.

Thanks once again for a brilliant website.

Keith

mufctony1959

i have just been awarded same amount £2508. cheque should be here today.
i have already decided that i would also go for the interest.
How did you calculate this back to 1993, is there a set formula or do you know of an on-line calculator that may be available. thanks

lscc61114

Hi Just wanted to say thanks

I used your advice, found my house was in Band D, whilst all my neighbours were a C, even though they are the same house.

I applied to VOA, who said I was too late to ask, but I could go to appeal.

I wrote back saying they had a duty to keep records up to date, and a I would appeal.

Later they wrote back and said they agreed and would alter my banding.

It took a while to get VOA to contact the council, who promptly paid me back £1436, well worth the effort.

I had not considered the interest though so that my next task.

A 1436, thanks

Dave

Moneysava_wannaB

Local Borough Council: North dorset
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded:£0 but just moved in rebanded with in 5weeks now £35 less on month
Annual saving going forward: £313.55


Thanks Martin

Happy_Ratepayer

Local Borough Council: St Helens MBC
Council Tax Band before: D
Council Tax Band after: C
Amount Refunded £1500

Thanks Martin
After only two short phone calls and one visit from a Valuation Officer a cheque fot £1500 and an annual saving of £130. All within 6 weeks, I'm astounded and very, very pleased.
:j

MSE_Archna wrote: »

This thread is especially for reporting your successes in getting your council tax rebanded plus refunds.

The aim is to show others that it works.

Please report your successes here, if possible in the format:

Local Borough Council:
Council Tax Band Before:
Council Tax Band After:
Amount refunded:
Annual saving going forward:

Plus if possible a few details on your experiences.

• Read the article
  Council Tax Cashback
• Discuss the issues
  Discussion on Council Tax Cost Cutting

IMPORTANT NOTE! This thread is only to report succcesses

Please note this thread is ONLY for reporting successes/experiences. It isn't for answering questions, discussing what to do, or postulating on the general issues; any posts of that nature will be deleted. If you want to do that please instead go to the Discussion on Council Tax Cost Cutting

Blue_Sweeper

My family and I moved into our present house late in 1991. The house was valued on the open market at £81,500 and we bought the property for well under £80,000. So I had the original documentation and most importantly the original Estate Agents details for our house!

I sent a letter to the local VOA Office in Worthing, West Sussex, in March this year enclosing copies of our documentation. I then received a reply stating that my appeal for the valuation from band E to band D had been turned down on the grounds of, "I only had six months from the date of moving into the property to appeal".

I then sent another letter, asking how I could launch an official appeal on the grounds that there had been an administrative error in the original valuation. After a further wait of a few weeks there was a reply that I couldn't appeal.

I found out who the supervisor was and sent another letter, asking how to make an official appeal. Within a few days I received a reply that my case had been reconsidered and that my house had been revalued and changed from band E to band D...:T back dated to 1993....:D a saving of over £300 for this year alone.

A few days later I received a letter from Worthing Borough Council which contained a notification of the Tax that I owed for this year and that they owed me over £2500 for overpayment from previous years. Today I got a cheque in the post for the money that I overpaid, £2527.........YIPPY...:money:

A VERY BIG THANKS MARTIN.

Should I ask the council for the interest that I'm owed for the overpayment?

MSE_Archna wrote: »

This thread is especially for reporting your successes in getting your council tax rebanded plus refunds.

The aim is to show others that it works.

Please report your successes here, if possible in the format:

Local Borough Council:
Council Tax Band Before:
Council Tax Band After:
Amount refunded:
Annual saving going forward:

Plus if possible a few details on your experiences.

• Read the article
  Council Tax Cashback
• Discuss the issues
  Discussion on Council Tax Cost Cutting

IMPORTANT NOTE! This thread is only to report succcesses

Please note this thread is ONLY for reporting successes/experiences. It isn't for answering questions, discussing what to do, or postulating on the general issues; any posts of that nature will be deleted. If you want to do that please instead go to the Discussion on Council Tax Cost Cutting

Keith1956

I'm glad you saw my post and are going to claim the interest back.

I haven't found a calculator for this but I just added 3% (which is an Inland Revenue Repayment Suppliment rate I understand) and worked out how much I had overpaid over the years back to 1993. I thought I was owed about £430 so I wasn't far out.

I had to write to the Customer Service Manager at the VOA office first, got refused and then wrote to the Chief Executive's Office for a caseworker to consider my claim. They call it compensation and not interest - but I don't mind, the money's in my pocket and not their's! They were easy to deal with, straightforward and polite.

Best of luck. Happy to help.

Keith