Council Tax Rebanding SUCCESS stories

rockyb_2

Liverpool City Council
Original band E
New Band D
Refund £3512
Saving £212 per year.

We have been in this house 20 years.

All it took was one letter to VOA a visit from an inspector 5 min. We waited 6 weeks the letter from VOA arrived and the next day a cheque from the council. the cheque was not for the full amount as it was only back dated to 1997 so a phone call found out that the records were paper before that date had to be checked an a week late the balance arrived.

Thank you Martin in the last 4 years you have probabilly saved us about £10,000.

Beees

Council: South Bedfordshire
Band before: C
Band after: B
Refund: £107
Saving going forward: approx £180 a year

Our battle started in September, and finally ended on the 9th June this year. NINE MONTHS OF FIGHTING! But I do maintain it was worth it. The VOA were deliberately obstructive, rubbished our evidence over and over again by letter, and ultimately we had to go to tribunal. THEN we had to wait a month for the decision. THEN we had to wait a further month for our refund cheque. My message would be, don't give up, expect the VOA to try to fob you off as much as possible, and keep plugging away because they are obliged to give you a hearing in front of an impartial panel. Who will probably, as in our case, realise the VOA are deeply in the wrong.

daveeeeed

Council: Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
Band before: F
Band after: E
Refund: around #1100 going back to 2000
Saving going forward: approx #130 a year

Went on council tax bill in Feb this year after moving in with partner. Thought tax band was high after reading MSE so appealed via VOA. Appealed by phone only, was sent standard letter in post and after several weeks (about 6) including follow up phone calls, found out band was to be lowered without need to view property! Result. After about 1 week the council wrote with various credit notes for over a grand, going back to 2000 when my partner first moved in, and to the previous occupants as well. Band for this year lowered and bills now 20 a month lower.
Easy money but took time and wouldn't have known how to do it without MSE. Thank you!
Also currently helping my partner reclaim bank charges of over 4K.

jacobia

Local Borough Council:Kettering
Council Tax Band Before:Band E
Council Tax Band After:Band F
Amount refunded:£700

Thanks for the advice.

I don't think I have ever seen such an informative media as MSE before. FANTASTIC

losgiganteskid

jacobia wrote: »

Local Borough Council:Kettering
Council Tax Band Before:Band E
Council Tax Band After:Band F

That looks very much like a bad result then !!

lardidah

council:Surrey
band:f
band:e
refund:£180

We questioned this soon after we moved in, so we didn't get a huge refund, however it is saving us money each year, so thrilled we did it and was a very easy process.:T

Sue_P_2

Local Council : Derbyshire Dales District Council
Band Before: F
Band After : D
Refunded: £5909.31
Saving this year: £600.00

Thanks Martin. We had transitional relief for the first two years of the council tax, when that was over and we tried to query the banding we were told that we had left it too late and could do nothing about it! After watching It Pays to Watch! it most certainly did. We followed the instructions on the web site, the valuers office sent someone out to reacccess our house and we were reduced by 2 bands. A few weeks later the money was repaid directly into our bank account, almost £6000!!! We are now wondering about the interest we have missed out on and are going to try and recoup some of that. Has any one else had any success claiming interest? :T

summer08

South Holland DC
Band Before - E
Band After - D
Refund - TBC
Annual saving - £315

Sent initial letter which they rejected and explained why. They then gave me a chance of going to tribunal or signing an acceptance letter to say we won't take it any further. I agreed to tribunal however they contacted me beforehand for details of my supporting evidence. They actually chased me a few times and even intimated that it may get sorted before tribunal. When I eventually got round to emailing info I got an email back that day to say they woud drop the band. However the reasons they gave for rebanding us wasn't anything I had put in my supporting evidence but was actually information they must already of had eg info about the building type, rooms etc. They tried at any opportunity to put us off and must of sent us approx 8 forms asking us to drop the claim. It's really worth fighting for and also being really confident about your case when ever you speak to them.

PANDORA

Council: West Dunbartonshire (Scotland)
Band Before: D
Band Now: C
Refund: £2,100
Annual Saving: £171

Challenged banding end of February 2008, cheque received 11 weeks later (after numerous phone calls to speed up payment).

Thanks Martin, forever grateful I saw It Pays to Watch and found this website!!:j

robbietommy

Oadby & Wigston council
Was band E
Now Band D
Received a cheque for £2500.

Having checked all property on our road i found that my neighbours were band D and also some other houses that had more rooms and bigger gardens were also band D phoned valuation office they asked how why i had cheked this out and i said because of Martin Lewis email we get and the lady on the phone said Ohh that!!!! few weeks later letter to say we had been rebanded and back dated. i week later cheque from council and this years council tax at band D. Thank you all:T