Has anyone tried Council Tax rebanding?

8 replies

orangepudding · 27/08/2013 15:15

This morning I received a letter from a no win/ no fee type company claiming that a neighbour had their council tax rebanded and we could do the same and claim back money we over paid.

I looked on MSE and found a guide. There are indeed neighbours in a lower band but in identical houses! I called the VOA who passed my details onto the council. The council called and I now have to wait 8 weeks for a decision. The lady at the council said that the neighbours in Band C may well be rebanded to a Band D rather than me going down - feel slightly guilty about that....

Any one had any success with this?

OP posts:

flow4 · 27/08/2013 15:42

No, but while I was in the process of buying my house, just a couple of months ago, I noticed that it was band C, whereas the other half of the semi was B. I mentioned this to the vendors, who have obviously appealed, because the house has now been rebanded to B. :)

I guess you have already found this MSE guide . It says rebanding upwards is theoretically possible but 'extremely rare'.

Alwayscheerful · 27/08/2013 15:45

My FIL had his house rebanded and he received 5 years of refunds!

FannyMcNally · 27/08/2013 15:47

It used to be that you could ask for a rebanding only if you had recently moved to that address. We did this 15 years ago getting an F reduced to an E. After a few years we noticed on estate agents' blurb that similar properties were D but the council said we were out of time to change it. Have the rules changed? If so I might try again!

Original poster

orangepudding · 27/08/2013 15:50

FannyMcNally - the rules have changed, you can claim from 1993!

OP posts:

FannyMcNally · 27/08/2013 15:56

Really?! That would be amazing if we could get a refund. The band rates here in our part of Herts are ridiculous. Thanks for that!

Original poster

orangepudding · 27/08/2013 15:58

Look at the guide flow4 linked too, very useful. I am also in Herts and it took only 2 phone calls.

OP posts:

nocarsgo · 27/08/2013 15:59

Yes, I did this shortly after moving into this house.

This was the only house in the street in a higher band. The band got lowered. It was very simple. Too bad for the people who lived here before!

Damnautocorrect · 27/08/2013 16:01

Yep I did, it was easy. Lovely lady came round redid it. Landlord got 10 years of rebates!!!

Flip

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