Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

andymich

Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council
Banding before - D
Banding after - C
Amount refunded - not yet known (but 10 years worth due so here's hoping it will pay for our holiday this year!!)

We had to have two goes at this. The first time we just got a letter saying basically "no chance" but then sent all the copies of pages from the links from this website including our neighbours bandings and relative valuations etc. and pointed out that we felt the tax banding had been worked out on what someone had been prepared to pay for the house in 1991 rather than what it was actually worth. They agreed we needed to be rebanded down to C but said it had been a "borderline" case. Another neighbour of ours tried at the same time as our first try and was also turned down so they're also going to try again. We feel that the first time we probably had a standard letter from someone who thought that they may as well try to say no on the basis they might save some money if even only half the people gave up at that stage (they don't know US very well). Their initial acknowledgement letter also said that they usually respond within 2 months but due to a recent increase in requests to re-evaluate bacndings there may be a delay!! Testament to this site indeed...! This is the second time we've got money back on Martin's advice (we also got some back on mortgage early exit fees). Fantastic - thanks.

artygirl

Local Borough Council: Basingstoke and deane
Council Tax Band Before: E
Council Tax Band After: D
Amount refunded: £2,728.02
refunded back to 1993!

We put off applying but very glad we did. Don't be put off by the letter informing you that your banding could go up and payment will be required. Had to wait a while for the cheque but with the letter and form only taking about half an hour to complete both the wait was worth it.

lekemp

Colchester Borough Council
Original Band E
Now Band D
Amount confirmed in credit: over £2500!

Thank goodness for the Moneysaving TV programme on wrongly banded council tax. We would never have known we were in a different band to every other house on our estate, a band E instead of band D like all the other similar houses if it wasn't for that. We have been blindly paying band E rates since we moved in here.

We have now managed to get a reduction to band D backdated to 1993 and have been told today that we are over £2500 in credit!! We are going hoping to have this paid as a cheque. It's a lot of money which will be very welcome.

More people should know about it! I have certainly told everyone I know.

Good luck to everyone else.

grace21

swhite99 wrote: »

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

Hi swhite99 &suecoo66,

You need to ask your questions on Council tax cost cutting forum.There are a few very knowledgeable individuals who willingly give us others their advice.

Hope this helps,

Grace

albers

Local Borough Council: OXFORD CITY
Council Tax Band Before: F
Council Tax Band After: E
Amount refunded: £2590
Annual saving going forward: £340

I asked for a re-banding in May 2007 after finding out all my neighbours (similar sized properties) were in a lower band. This set off an unfortunate chain of events which led to all my immediate neighbours and other properties in my road all being put up into my band!
Everybody immediately appealed and subsequently were put back down into band E . I decided to appeal again on their decision and after a year of phones calls ,letters and visits they finally decided they were wrong.
It absolutely pays not give up on this and now me and my wife are going on a nice little summer holiday to celebrate persistence!
Cheers Martin..... we owe you a pint.:T

regburns

Dudley MBC
Previously Band C, now B
Refund of £1406.46
No idea how much the savings will be going forward.

I am amazed. I was sure that we had looked before, but Saint Martin (Genuflection, genuflection) mentioned it on the Channel 5 show, so I looked it up again on the www. There are 6 houses like ours in our Close, and we paid most. I emailed the VOA, and they replied, asking for more details, which I posted off. About three weeks later, the VOA sent me a letter, saying that they had regarded me, and that they had told Dudley MBC: further, they told me not to worry about contacting my Council, as they will be in touch. Some three weeks later, the cheque arrived: today!! All praise to Saint Martin.
Regards Reg
:money:

dansdan

Local Council: North Ayrshire
Present Banding: B
Should be: A

I sent a letter off to the Valuation Officer stating that I believed the Banding to be wrong. I used the Nationwide House Price Calculator, and quoted in the letter that the banding figures were based on this. The property in 1991 was, according to the calculator, worth approx £18,500 - well below the £27000 threshold for Band A. I also mentioned that many of my immediate neighbours were also in Band A - all of whom are in similar properties. Within 3 days I received a card from the Valuation Officer stating that my query was being investigated, and to wait for further contact.

So far this is all I have heard, but I shall keep you posted...

Dan

Drum_Widow

Council: Congleton Borough (in Cheshire)
Band Before: B
Band Now: A
Refund: £1,054
Annual Saving: £160

I wrote to my local Valuation Office in March 08 asking for a re-valuation, on the grounds that the identical house next door to me was Band A and also that there had been a number of changes which had brought down the value of houses in my area since the original valuation - eg a Bail Hostel being opened round the corner in 1992!

They acknowledged my letter straight away and said they would look into it, but it might have to be referred to the Local Valuation Tribunal, so I should expect a letter from the local Tribunal Office. Sure enough, I received a notice about a month later, saying a Tribunal might have to take place within the next 5 months. DON'T BE PUT OFF BY THIS!

In early May I received a letter from the Valuation Office, saying that they had looked into my situation and agreed that the band should be lowered to Band A, with effect from 1st April 1993! They told me they would notify the Tribunal Office that my case could be deleted from their list.

I was asked to sign an Agreement (ie that I accepted their decision) and was told that the Valuation Office would notify my local Council of the change to the Valuation List.

The Council recently sent me a revised Council Tax Bill for the current year, then I received copies of revised bills dating back to 2001/02, showing I had been refunded up to that point. I phoned the Council today to ask why my refund hadn't been backdated to 1993 and they said the rest was on its way, but had to be calculated separately as their systems had changed in 2001/02.

So, I am due a total refund of £1,054! It would have been more, but I was living abroad and renting my house out for some of the time, so didn't pay the full Council Tax in those years.

Thank you so much Martin, you really are everyone's hero, keep up the good work!

:T

Drum Widow x

LeeChristian_2

Local Borough Council: Warrington
Council Tax Band Before: B
Council Tax Band After: A
Amount refunded: £901
Annual saving going forward: £140

Got a letter saying my appeal was invalid (over 6 Months from moving in). However they still agreed to carry out another valution. Came by the house took external measurements. Approx 10 weeks later rebanded. Money being payed direct to my bank account.

Backdated to when i moved in (2001)

Nice one. :beer:

sdpp99

To cut a long story short ...

I noticed that my old house had been rebanded (from D to C) by the new owner.
[It was miss-valued, the adjacent semi-detached was a C !!]

I phoned the valuation office, & after I sent in some plans to show the house's layout .. they back dated the re-banding.

I phoned the council, expecting to have a long conversation about this, but they just said "Where do we send the cheque?"

The refund is for 2002-2005.

I was suprised it was so easy , and that I could claim for a house that I don't own anymore.

steve