Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

essexjenks

Local Borough Council: London Borough of Havering
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded: £830.06
Annual saving going forward £430.00


We received confirmation of re banding within 2 weeks.. The council sent refund claim forms for all the previous owners.

The only hassle was getting the refund! The council automatically applied the credit to this years bill. I argued my point and on Monday had £830 credited to my bank........! GREAT

lisasutton

Lewes District Council
Original Band F
New Band E
Refund £1,937.71
Annual saving £334.34

Moved into house in 2001 and as previous owners had extended it the VOA were quick off the mark to come round, measure up and swiftly put us up from an E to an F within 2 months! Didn't get round to appealing within 6 months but a year later wrote questioning the new banding. Was informed we were out of time! A year or so ago I tried again and wrote complaining that other larger houses in the area with more bedrooms and were only an E. Received a reply stating that I needed to provide proof for them to investigate further or accept the F band. Got around to challenging them again thanks to Martin's website and the confidence it gives you that you could be right all along! Within 4 weeks the VOA rang me to say that the band would now be an E and received the notice on Friday. Just waiting for cheque for over £1,900 now. :beer: Don't give up! Thanks Martin.:j

hayleypickard

Local Authority: Kirklees
Band Before: D
Band After: C
Amount Refunded: £60.00
Amount Saved Annually: £148.00

I have today recieved confirmation that my council tax has been re-banded!!! and I'm so happy.

I couldn't believe how easy it all achually was - I pressumed that someone would have to come to my property for it to be re-assessed - but no - all I have to do is sign a form to state that I am happy with the re-banding!!!

I have only lived in my house since November 2007, and was surprised by the council tax banding, I did some investigating and found out that similar properties on my road were in fact in a lower band.

In total the process has only taken me 2 months. :money: :T

I would deffinatley recommend anyone to give it a go.

Youngy

Can anyone provide any concrete info on the process for reclaiming the interest on overpayments? We have successfully claimed back £3500 in overpayments and are now pursuing the interest (circa £700 by our calculations) We are hitting hurdles at every step.
After initially writing to our local council we were put onto the divisional VOA office who then put us onto the VOA CEO office in London. We have now had a letter back from the CEO office Customer Service team, saying we are not eligible for the interest as they do not see the local office has made any 'serious error'. And saying that the banding went unchallenged for 14yrs with insufficient evidence provided by us at the initial banding.

Given that we were succesfully rebanded down a band retrospectively I am at a loss to why they still feel there is no 'serious error' enough to warrant paying us the interest.

Can anyone who has succesfully reclaimed the interest provide any advice please?

Many thanks

rorykehoe

Local Authority: Weymouth and Portland BC
Band Before: B
Band After: A
Amount Refunded: £960.00
Amount Saved Annually: £107.00

I applied on behalf of my girlfriend.
This took about 10 months and involved a fair amount of reminding.
The Local Valuation Office was always polite but soooo slow.
However, a low waged, single parent in a W&P flat was on the receiving end and I was not going to be put off by administrative bundledom!!
The confirming letter was just amazing. It made my day.:T
To be fair, the LVO was apologetic about the delay, citing pressure of work.

Here's a Q though.
Is a situation like this (11 years' mis-banding/overpayment) one, where the
poor sap at the end of the line is entitled/right to claim interest?
Also any costs associated with the claim?
What do you all reckon. Am I being unreasonable?

Thanks MSE/Martin. I can't praise you guys enough!

Cheers:beer:

Rory
pp Sarah

Keith1956

Hi Youngy

I successfully got £583 back in interest from the Chief Executive's Office last year. I had the same response at first. Speak to the caseworker in the CEO again. The VOA have clearly made a serious error otherwise they would not have conceeded in your case. As usual, be polite but be persistent.

All the best

Keith1956

gavint_3

Local Borough Council: Bristol City
Council Tax Band Before: B
Council Tax Band After: A
Amount refunded: £204
Annual saving going forward: £123

Was initially rejected after a phone conversation but then wrote a letter and had another couple of conversations with them and they said they'd reduce it. :rotfl:

Not got the money back in one go but my 2008 payments are a massive amount less.

Cheers Martin.

Gav

nan4kids

Just like to say thank you, i have just successfully change our tax band from
a B to A with a repayment of £1,500.00.
The council in Norwich never wrote to us to ask how we would like the rebate they have just keep £1000.00 for this year council tax,but i only found out when i went to pay this years tax? I have asked them to send us the remaining £500 and a new bill showing the change band and the rates plus because we have lived here sence 1990 i would like a print out of the difference between the bands sence it came in in 1993.Thank You fore all your help

Abvance

Just got my band changed from C to B and I live in Tower Hamlets. Thanks.

martin4pm

Local Borough Council: King's Lynn & West Norfolk
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded: £2906.55
Annual saving going forward: £312.45

This has been a very simple process and I have now received confirmation of my overpayments backdated to 1993. But, although I have always paid by direct debit, the council deducted the entire 2008/2009 liability from the overpayment due to me, which I did think was a bit sneaky to say the least. After contacting them they have now agreed to pay me the overpayment in full and continue taking direct debits for future liabilities.

Thanks Martin!!