Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

swhite99

Halton
Band D

Have a neighbour in a similar house in band C and the Nationwide calculator also put me in band C so I was very confident.

However, I have received a letter from the VOA refusing to reband my house.

They say that the Nationwide calculator covers too wide a geographic area and have looked at actual sales instead.

They also say I cannot appeal.

Anyone else had experience of this? Can I take it further?

Steve.

winnanan

Success!
Council: Staffordshire
Originally Band D
Now Band C
Refund £1357.95
Savings per year £136

Very pleased about this, especially as I had doubts we would qualify! Thankyou St. Martin the Moneywise and all contributors for help and advice! Going to redo our tatty bathroom with the cash!!!

mick1963

Success!
Council: Gedling
Originally Band E
Now Band D
Refund -Waiting for offer!!!!!!!!
Savings per year £260

I challenged once before in 1995 in my old house & got that reduced by one band,
We moved to our new house 2 years ago & I wanted to do the same, We was one of only 4 in the road paying band E all the rest was band D. But as this house had been extended to 4 beds I thought it would be hard to do, But it was bugging me & after reading this site forum decided if mine cant be reduced maybe it will increase others in the road (I was not being nasty ) But felt it was unfair!
So i followed Martins reasons for appeal & using the information Calculated what the price would have been in 1993 & it was just under the lower band value. I also realised our extension was built before that date, I stated that for that reason the house was already inclusive of the alterations
I have had a letter today stating they have lowered our rates by one band & this will be from 1993 & they are sending me a letter of what rebate I will get
This has took about 6 weeks in total (well worth it, GO FOR IT)
Cheers
Mick

KirstineSmith

Melton Mowbray
Band Before: E
Band Now: D
Amount Refunded: £1800
Savings going forward: £300

Thank you so very much. I really didn't think you could challenge council tax bands like this.

Our house was built nearly 6 years ago. There are 11 others the same on the estate, all of which were Band D! The house that backed onto ours is the same style, bought 2 months after ours, for the same price was a D. Obviously we were not happy.

We challenged the banding on-line, and eventually got a response that the banding would be changed to a D. We have been let off paying council tax for a whole year and getting a cheque from the council as well.
Thank you again. :T :beer:

swhite99

Has anyone had any experience of trying to appeal against VOA decision not to reband?

Getting_wise

South Oxfordshire District Council
Band D
Now Band C
Refund £308

I just want to say a big thank you for the information posted. I read through and it mentioned that previous owners of properties that have had band changes may be able to claim a refund. We moved in December 1997, and the band was changed by new owners in 1999. On reading your info we applied to the council and have just received a refund in excess of £308 in less than two weeks. Many thanks and keep up the good work.

chirperg

Council: Mid Devon District Council
Tax Band Before Re-banding: G
Tax Band After Re-banding: F
Council Tax Refunded: £2,627.09
Future Annual Saving: £328.62

A friend alerted me of your website some two months ago. I completed the online application for re-banding on 11th March 2008, received letter in response together with further form for completion on 15th March. Form completed and returned. On 14th April received confirmation of re-banding from band G to band F backdated to 1991. On 16th May received refund for period of my occupation (Oct 1998 - to date) of £2,627.09. Future annual saving at todays rate level £328.62. That really is a quite staggering saving and serious, serious money!! A fantastic pay-back for so very little effort. :beer:

Thank you for showing me the light!! Goodness knows how many others have been kind of 'conned' by a very imperfect system.

Chrissyt

Council: Peterborough City Council
Tax Band Before Re-banding: D
Tax Band After Re-banding: C
Council Tax Refunded: £515

After watching "it pays to watch" back in Feb 08, I thought out of interest and curiosity I would have a look at my council tax band and compare it to other houses in my road. Low and behold everyone else was in BAND C and my house was in a BAND D.

I followed Martins guidelines on checking your banding and property value etc... I wrote and simple letter to my local Valualtion Office asking for a banding re assesment.

After only a couple of phone calls (to a very helpful and very informative man) and a couple of months I have been rebanded to a BAND C and refunded (WITHOUT EVEN HAVING TO ASK !!!) £515 for four years worth of council tax.

Fantastic !!! Without watching that program and a simple check I would still be in the wrong band.

Thank you loads - Well worth it NOT just for the refund but more for the long term savings of being in a lower band.

Here's a big and huge :T to Martin for this !!!! Woohoo :j !!!

leslie_stewart

THANK YOU


dropped band and backdated payout from 1993:
I successfully followed the system and appealed against my council tax banding
Telephoned my local Valuation Office as I'd discovered that my neighbour has a lower band then me, yet my flat is exactly the same. They reduced my banding almost six weeks later No council tax to pay for 2008 + £925 into my bank account.”
Local Borough Council: Hammersmith& Fulham
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded: £925 + No council tax for 2008 so around £1,925 back


Manythanks
Leslie Stewart

lennonf

Local Council: Rossendale
Council Tax Before: B
Council Tax After: A
Amount Refunded: £1500.00

Thanks!

I phoned the valuation office as when i checked our banding i found out that the rest of the street were a band A and we were a band B, they said they would look in to it and it could take 2 months, 2 months to the day i got a letter advising us that the banding had been changed from B to A and backdated to 1993, I then phoned my local council and requested a cheque! Result! and very simple to do!:rotfl: