Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

missy321

Local Borough Council: Leeds City Council
Council Tax Band Before: C
Council Tax Band After: B
Amount refunded: TBD
Annual saving going forward: Not yet known

How long does it take for the refund to come through? I was advised yesterday of the rebanding & that Leeds council will be notified in approx 2 weeks.

Thanks Martin & everyone for all your help!!!!

3lllsplusa

Mega cool and thanks for the tip.

Having brought a new house in July 2003 now have got the banding changed from F to E and in the post came a cheque for nearly £1300 in overpayments. Fantastic, montly charge down by £30 and all this refund.....

Fidelse

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Local Borough Council: Kennet District (Wiltshire)
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded: £842 (Current Owner) + £1200 (Predecessor)
Annual saving going forward: £294[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I found that on my road and an adjacent road, a 60%/40% split between bands D/E, with houses of the same construction. The only differences that could possibly account for the two bands is in the land plot size and/or whether extensions are added. My own house is built on a smaller plot and it has no extensions, yet my council tax was set to band E.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]estimated [/FONT]1991 house prices of my neighbours were all within the band D category. With the most recent sale of a house (with larger plot and extensions) it was estimated to be priced approximately £8000 below the band E threshold. It seems like I was onto good case![/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I telephoned the Local Listing Officer in Swindon (using the friendly approach rather than the legal obligation reminder - that would have been plan , who recorded all facts professionally and did not attempt fob me off. Two weeks later I got a telephone call, being told that my house was to be rebanded to D. I received a cheque of £842 a month later, for three years of tax overpayment.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Finally, I recently bumped into the previous owner of the house, who surprisingly thanked me because a cheque of approximately £1200 (single resident tax rate) was received due to my efforts, for nine years of overpayment. Maybe I should check all previous places I’ve lived in before![/FONT]

Keith1956

Culpritmojo

You might like to see my earlier posts. Write to the Customer Service Manager at the VOA first. Then to the Chief Executive's Office if refused. I recieved £563 back in interest so it is worth doing. Good luck.

Keith

cattie

Greenwich Council
Band before E
Band after D
Refund: tba
Annual saving £283 per year

My heartfelt thanks to Martin & all others who try to help here. My own case was very easy as all I did was send an email with literally just the few words suggested by Martin in his article.

I had an acknowlegement of my email within a week & no further correspondence or contact until today when to my jubilation I opened a letter from voa telling me my band had been lowered to D. :j :j :j

steve2871

Maidstone Borough Council
Band before: F
Band after : E
Refund : £1100 Not as a cheque but as a holiday from payment until December and a final reduced 2 payments in December and January.

It took 3 phone calls to Tunbridge Wells valuation office and a visit from valuation officer who asked a few simple questions about original condition of house.(any improvements after purchase not taken into consideration). Photographs and bills were available and recommended by LVA as a form of proof of original state of property. Outside measurments taken.
Visit on 3rd July and letter confirming change of banding recieved by both myself and Maidstone Borough council on 18th July. Many thanks Martin

cattie

Can anybody enlighten me about the code relating to alteration of my banding, only voa omitted to include leaflet giving codes in their letter to me.

It states code 6 if anyboday can help.

Hank_B_Skank

Sunderland City Council.
Banded B 1997
Challenged Immediately via Council .... DEEMED CORRECT!
Refused to pay! ... red letter threatening court action!:mad:
Paid council tax for next 10 years at band B!!
Heard you on Radio 2 (Jeremy Vine) ... one email to VOA resulted in initial "invalidity notice" to say that band WAS correct but would be followed up.
2 weeks later, confirmation letter from VOA confirming rebanding down to A.
Next day, letter from Council stating we were due refund of £1024.73 (please request in writing ... YES PLEASE!!!)
:beer:
Thank you so much, I'm telling everyone now!!!!!!!! (Watch out Sunderland City Council!!!!! ... to be fair, they have been very nice about this recently, despite refusing to move initially ... and the court threat! )
:T

OldSutt

Council: Plymouth
Before: C
After: B
Monthly Saving: ~£13
Refund: still waiting

Martin,
A very big THANK YOU for all the information relating to banding and how to go about asking for reassessment. It took about 2 months, as I gather the Plymouth VOA is snowed under (as is the council department dealing with re-bandings and refunds!) All that remains now is to share the information with my neighbours. I will report back on the refund front and the change in charges.
Thanks again.
Old Sutt.

mike999

Local Borough Council: TENDRING
Council Tax Band Before: C
Council Tax Band After: B
Amount refunded: £1078
Annual saving going forward: £200




THANKS VERY MUCH, IT ONLY TOOK 3 WEEKS IN ALL.
I FOLLOWED YOUR INSTRUCTIONS. RECEIVED THE 6 MONTHS LETTER. THEN REPLIED STATING MY NEIGHBOURS WITH SAME PROPERTIES WERE BAND B & IN 1991 THE PROPERTY WAS VALUED @ £46000.

[/quote]