Council Tax Cost Cutting: reduce your band and grab any discounts Discussion Area

halloweenqueen_2 · 13 October 2006 at 8:52AM

I never got to appeal as they cut me off in 3 weeks instead of four! They were extrememly fair and pleasant to deal with and told me they were reviewing it anyway but to write in with my reasons, which I did and they phoned me within days to tell me I'd been rebanded and due for a refund.

Pere_Ubu · 13 October 2006 at 6:00PM

Are we comparing neighbours who live in the same area or in the same street/road. I have found properties in Band B in my area and I'm in band D. The Band B properties are similar to mine i.e. number of bedrooms they are older houses. What impact would this have on Banding? My house was built in 1999. Any help/guidance? Or a direction to an article thanks.

thegreybeard · 13 October 2006 at 6:24PM

You need to compare the houses using values at 1st April 1991. That was the Valuation Date for English council tax banding.

BUT, as I have said, before:

Just be careful; if the Valuation Officer finds or believes that your band is too low, he can put it up!

So, do your homework, first.

If your band is found to be correct, he could reband your neighbour(s). Now that would make you popular in the neighbourhood!

yinny · 13 October 2006 at 11:01PM

I have followed this site for along time but never really done much about what I read.

A few weeks ago i read the council tax reduction thing and decided to have a go. I saw my neighbour in an identical house was a band lower than me. i wrote off, filled in the forms and got a letter back today that lowered my band from f to e. i will save around £35 per month.

I checked with my billing authority and found out my refund (backdated to April 1993) will be for over £3000. So dont be put off by the 6 month rule. if you have a valid claim, go for it, I hope you get a suprise like mine!

Thanks to martin and everyone here we will be taking a holiday on our refund.

Pere_Ubu · 14 October 2006 at 9:14PM

thegreybeard wrote:

You need to compare the houses using values at 1st April 1991. That was the Valuation Date for English council tax banding.

BUT, as I have said, before:

Just be careful; if the Valuation Officer finds or believes that your band is too low, he can put it up!

So, do your homework, first.

If your band is found to be correct, he could reband your neighbour(s). Now that would make you popular in the neighbourhood!

If your housewas built after 1991 do you use the value of the house when it was built?

Maisie · 15 October 2006 at 11:54AM

yinny wrote:

I have followed this site for along time but never really done much about what I read.

A few weeks ago i read the council tax reduction thing and decided to have a go. I saw my neighbour in an identical house was a band lower than me. i wrote off, filled in the forms and got a letter back today that lowered my band from f to e. i will save around £35 per month.

I checked with my billing authority and found out my refund (backdated to April 1993) will be for over £3000. So dont be put off by the 6 month rule. if you have a valid claim, go for it, I hope you get a suprise like mine!

Thanks to martin and everyone here we will be taking a holiday on our refund.

Well done Yinny on that terrific refund. Have a fabulous holiday.

Halloweenqueen Have you got your refund yet?

Let's have some more success stories on here to show other MSEs what can be done in appealing.

Maisie ( original poster )

CharleneUK · 15 October 2006 at 10:42PM

Just posted this on another thread

Hmm.. I just checked out my neighbours. We are in a block of 6, and we're all on band B, apart from one, who is on band C. Have no idea why.

I pay around £103 per month council tax.

So I think we pay 'less' according to the site.

gnasher · 16 October 2006 at 3:48PM

Pere_Ubu wrote:

If your housewas built after 1991 do you use the value of the house when it was built?

No, you will have to make an educated guess as to what your house would have been worth on 1st april 1991 if it had have been built then.

gnasher · 16 October 2006 at 3:56PM

Plus, for anyone reading this in Wales the situation is different, as there was a Revaluation done there in 2005, so it is now based on the value of the house on 1st April 2003.

The same was supposed to happen in England, but as Council Tax bills in Wales on average increased (more than the usual annual increase) they didn't go ahead with it. Well, it was an election year, after all.

Sir Michael Lyons is supposed to be investigating remedies for this, and an ever-increasing list of things, in his balance of funding enquiry. Due to report probably just in time for the Tories to get in power and ignore his findings, presumably.

Essenchill · 17 October 2006 at 8:35PM

Help!
Just got a reply after going on the website and explaining on there the reason I felt we should have a revaluation. The flat I live in is part of a refurb of a house into flats which was carried out over the last two years. Looking on the website, some of the other flats in the building are in band A and we're paying band B. I challenged it saying a) the house has been turned into flats and b) other flats are on a cheaper rate. They have come back saying my claim is invalid as 'You did not make your proposal within the statutory time limits specified in the council tax legislation'. I take this to mean the 'within 6 months of moving in' which Martin mentions in the article. But he says this isn't law and regardless of how long I've lived here there should still be a way of appealing the decision.

I have to appeal within four weeks. What my next move, what do I argue?

Council Tax Cost Cutting: reduce your band and grab any discounts Discussion Area

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