Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

Sixtyplus_2

Local Borough Council: Chelmsford
Council Tax Band before: F
Council Tax Band after: E
Amount refunded: £2903.66
Annual saving going forward: £316 in 2008/9.

I followed your step-by-step guide and, in addition, used Google Earth to compare the sizes of properties in my neighbourhood. When I was sure I had a good case, I phoned my local Listing Officer. He told me to submit my case in writing. Two months later, I received notification that my property had been rebanded from F to E. I received my refund a few days later.

Many, many thanks to Martin and Moneysavingexpert.

anandp

anandp wrote: »

Local Borough Council: Harrow
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: Either C or D
Amount refunded: awaiting response

Moved to the property less than 6 months ago and using the online Nationwide house price calculator, I put the numbers and dates in, for it to give me a figure of £78918 for the Q2 1991 valuation.

So I submitted the appeal proposal on this basis (for Band D) and then discovered that I had selected region: UK on the calculator instead of 'Greater London'. When I did this, it came back with £66601!!!

Back I went to the VOA website to re-submit for Band C.......awaiting a response!

AP

Forgot to update this one.
Unsuccessful with this one - it went to tribunal where the council provided evidence of sales in 1990 and 1991, which matched the E banding on the tables.

Obviously disappointed, as I would have assumed that as I was asking for a rebanding based on size/value/location of property, that 1991 values wouldn't have come into the decision-making.

A bigger house (a 5 second walk away) is on a D!! Doesn't make logical sense if you ask me!

Johnka_2

I challenged our banding after speaking to our neighbour who is in an identical house to mine. He told me he is in Band D, I am in Band E. I was told by the VOA that I was out of the time limit to challenge. I did not leave it there and after filling in two letters I have now been dropped down to Band D. Now I am waiting to hear from my Council. This Band goes back to 1993.

scotsaver

Local Council:- BEXLEY
Original Band:- E
New Band:- D
Refund:- £1847.25
Annual Saving going Forward:- £310.97

Can't believe it - finally got there and I am so chuffed:T :T :T First applied to the VOA by letter at the start of March and rec'd a letter back saying we were out of the 6 month ruling, we have lived in our home since 1991 so been here since the inception of the Council Tax. Wrote back to the VOA and explained that when we first rec'd Banding in 1993 we couldn't go and ask our neighbours what Band they were given and so assumed that we were all in Band E and so could they please reconsider. Then rec'd a letter saying we were being passed to a Tribunal Hearing in the next 6 months and so thought all was lost. Made a call to the VOA again last week and was told to ignore that letter, as they had been swamped with rebanding letters this had been sent out to let us know that we were still in the system and that we would be rebanded and a letter would be sent out in the next month. Imagine our delight when today we rec'd a letter from VOA saying we are being rebanded, I called my local Council and they have already sent out letters to me about overpayment and the lovely lady was able to confirm the amount of the refund.

We am over the moon and I think Martin Lewis should receive a Knighthood, without this Website I would never have looked up the VOA website and would never have known that I was in a different Band to my neighbours.:money: :money: :money: Good Luck to anyone else who is currently going through the process, just persevere and I'm sure you will get there.

susan070571

Council St Helens,
Original Band C
New Band B
Refund due, £990.
Annual Saving £120
Hi, great news for me, after first reading Martins Web page on March 20th I
immediately applied for rebanding from C To B. VOA really helpful, they actually sent someone to the house, however, she was only here for 5 minutes, if that, she took some external photos, verified a couple of things and went. That was about 14th April.. Today I have recieved 9 notifications from council (one for each tax year that we have lived here). We are now band B. and will get refund as soon as.

Thanks Martin.

bushtukergirl

Just want to say a great big thankyou as i have received a letter confirming that we will be a tax band A instead of a tax band B, We were initially told we couldn't apply as we had been living in the house since 2001 but we stuck to our guns and said if it was wrong then it needed sorting regardless we lost then we apealed where i spoke to the v.o.a officer in person and showed an ariel view of our house and showed what our house is worth now and what it would of been worth then also i showed what houses similar to ours that were in the tax band A, He thanked me for doing my homework and said I strong case and that they would let me know in two weeks! Dont give up because they say no the first time do your homework and have as much proof to back you up hope this helps!

SUEWILSON

Hello I have recently queried the banding of our 3 bed detatched house from D to C and only this week had a visitor to assess, after an appeal, they said our house was registed as a 4 bed house and the same property as ours on the next street is a C. I am at the moment awaiting a reply but she said the next step will be they write to us and ask us to withdraw our appeal, should we do this??? we have been in this property since April 1993. Thank you for all the good advice
Sue

MKPhil05

Local Borough Council: Bracknell Forest
Council Tax Band Before: C
Council Tax Band After: B
Amount refunded: £580.05
Annual saving going forward: £140+

The House Price Checker put our house in Band B territory but our (purpose built) 2-bed Flat was a C, as were all the next door (3-bed) houses which we felt was unfair. Then found that a single house in the next street was a B - quick stroll past to verify our suspicions - yes, it was a flat to the same design as ours. Citing that as an example we fired off a letter to the VOA, they replied with a questionaire which we completed. They then replied saying they were changing us to a B and we've had a refund dating back to December 2002 when we moved in!

spark1

Followed all the advice on here

Area Epping Forest Council, I wrote to the Chelmsford Valuation Office (East Anglia Group) with plenty of evidance ie neighbours bands, land registry prices, checked all back dated local papers in library, got turned down, they come out with a lot of poor excuses and total crap, I finally spoke to a nice lady who was living in the real world, she took on my case and sent someone out to measure up my house, then they admitted I was in the wrong band, reduced my band from D to C, got a rebate of just under a £1000, just before christmas, Im fighting for compensation / interest on my refund. So far the VOA East Anglian Group have turned me down, wrote to the Customer Service Team / Chief Executives Office and have been turned down again, Wrote to the Adjudicators Office today.

The VOA (Chelmsford) and Chief Executive Office London said that :
A change in band does not necessarily mean that they made an error

If there was no mistake in the 1st place why reband and refund me

egyptiangirl

Local Borough Council: Ipswich
Council Tax Band Before: C
Council Tax Band After: B
Amount refunded: TBA about £250

I made a call and sent a letter and yesterday recieved a letter confirming the change.
Nice 1 :j