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

vivatifosi · 30 July 2008 at 4:06PM

Hi larry,

A few people have. If you try to get interest you need to go to the VOA rather than the council. If I remember rightly, the VOA has often used the defence that people should have asked sooner and then they wouldn't have needed to repay the interest.

I've seen posts on both this and the successes thread from people that have succeeded though, so it is possible.

vincit_veritas · 30 July 2008 at 5:35PM

Wonder how other people have progressed their claim when their local VOA office simply don't bother to reply? I got a prompt response to my initial written claim, VOA sent a claim form within a few days, but warned that their "verdict" could take up to 8 weeks. I sent off the form and a detailed dossier. When the 8 weeks was nearly up, I just got back the standard brush-off letter (so often quoted on this forum), which made no reference at all to any of the points I had raised - in spite of claiming to have considered them. I responded requesting them to support their position as I had supported my claim. They sent me a letter saying someone would contact me "shortly". 8 weeks elapsed. I wrote again, asking them to respond. They sent me another letter saying someone would contact me "shortly"...that was now 3 weeks ago. Has anyone else had experience of this kind of stonewalling? Maybe I should feel optimistic that they seem unable to counter my claim....but obviously I want to proceed in the way most likely to get the desired result, so getting on the phone and giving them a rollocking is probably not the best option! Any advice appreciated.

guppy · 30 July 2008 at 6:45PM

I would go for the "polite" rollocking option...until you've got your reply at least. Ask to speak to the person dealing with your case, ask how much longer and reinforce the points made in your letter.

If they don't address all your specific points second time round, make a formal complaint. Its just not acceptable to ignore you.

beingjdc · 31 July 2008 at 2:05PM

I have a hearing! 6th October!

vivatifosi · 1 August 2008 at 10:59AM

beingjdc wrote: »

I have a hearing! 6th October!

Great news! Was that as a result of speaking to the VTS?

beingjdc · 2 August 2008 at 11:17AM

vivatifosi wrote: »

Great news! Was that as a result of speaking to the VTS?

Actually it was a complete coincidence. I came home and there was a letter on the doormat.

Now I have spoken to the VOA again and there is someone new preparing the case as my valuer has gone on long term sick, so she has asked for all my evidence again and is going to look at it and get back to me - either to say if they'll back down (unlikely from F to C, though I might compromise on D for a quiet life), or at least to share the evidence they are using at the tribunal with me.

vivatifosi · 2 August 2008 at 1:06PM

Good luck beingjdc,

We had a different LO take over the case where I live after I won my tribunal and I can't begin to tell you how much of a difference it has made. Not so much in terms of their latitude for doing things (which I guess is laid down in the VOAs guidelines), but in terms of their attitude and how they do them. Has made the situation much better for appeals after mine and the current ones going through. Old LO was a bit adversarial. New one keeps in touch and lets you know exactly what they are doing and why they are doing it. Hopefully you'll experience the same now you've got a fresh pair of eyes on the case.

liz23_2 · 3 August 2008 at 9:24AM

liz23 wrote: »

I spoke to the banding people for my area last month, they said it would take over 8 weeks to come to a decision. I've just had a phone call from them asking me more questions. I said the reason I believed that I was in the wrong band is that my neighbour (we are semis) is band D and we are E, we have both been extended and my neighbour bought the property 6 year with extension in place.
I had also looked at the rest of the street and noted down the numbers of all of the extended semis, I checked their band and they are all D, plus my house is on a main A road and the rest of my street is not (i'm on the corner)
The man said that he would look into it and get back to me, but said he believed that I was the right band and the rest were incorrect, if this was the case he would put their bands up.
Surely he can't just do that? Wouldn't he have to investigate all of them?
I feel like a grass now!!!
I told him that when I rang initially the person on the phone told me that it would only be my band that would be looked at, not my neighbours and it was very rare that they put bands up, his reply to this was 'oh, did he'

Any comments would be gratefully received - well nice ones anyway:D

Signed
Supersnitch!!!

Yeeha!!! I was re-banded and got £2100 back!!!!

vivatifosi · 3 August 2008 at 10:31AM

liz23 wrote: »

Yeeha!!! I was re-banded and got £2100 back!!!!

:T:T:T:T:T:T

Congratulations Liz! Great news!

jamdown · 5 August 2008 at 1:10AM

Hi all, i have tried to claim back my council tax nearly everyone on my estate are in band C, those who are in band B are on income support. Yet myself and 4 others are in band D. I have written to the VOA and was told i was in the right band and they will consider changing everyone else's band. Today i went to the library and looked on the micro format for 1991's but found nothing in my estate. I brought the property from Lambeth Council in 2001 for £150000.00 before my discount. Can someone please advice me where i can get sales evidence for my estate sales in 1991?:mad:

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

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free