More Pitsea estate homeowners to challenge their council tax

4:30pm Wednesday 4th July 2012 in News

NEIGHBOURS on a Pitsea estate are set to try to claim back thousands of pounds in council tax after one woman won her fight with the authorities.

The Echo revealed yesterday Jennifer Cooper, 60, was refunded £1,204 after realising she had overpaid her council tax for 14 years.

She has now urged everyone on the Chalvedon estate, in Pitsea, to check and challenge their council tax bandings due to the differences among the virtually identical properties.

Miss Cooper, who lived in Moretons for 30 years before moving to Canvey with her partner Mick Valbonesi, has knocked on the doors of former neighbours to show them the paperwork and prove it can be done.

Sharon Hobbs, 54, who has lived in Moretons since 1980, currently lives in a C band property, but after speaking to Miss Cooper has put in a call to the Valuations Office Agency.

She said: “It’s crazy – some are Bs some are Cs – I’m going to challenge it.

“I had never questioned it before and didn’t know you could, but I’ve called them and I’ve told my neighbour too.

“We might not get as much as Jennifer, but that’s not the point – even if you don’t get a rebate, you would still pay less tax now if the band is reduced.”

Sophie Keeble, 21, lives in a one-bedroom flat in Moretons and pays £103 a month in council tax.

She said: “Even though my dad lives in a four-bedroom house in Basildon he only pays £107 or £108, so I pay quite a lot. I’ve never really questioned it, as I’ve never known anything different.

“I will definitely look into it if other people are getting money back, because it’s the council tax that gets you.”

Kenneth Fisher, 32, who has lived in Moretons for a year-and-a-half with his partner and three children, added: “A bill comes through and I pay it. I will check what we are though, and if it’s high I will query it.”

Basildon Council has already said it would not face problems if a string of rebate claims were received, as it only keeps about £16million of the £100million it collects in council tax every year.

Comments (10)

5:07pm Wed 4 Jul 12

Nebs says...

Good opportunity for the Valuation Office to move all the B's up to C's.
Good opportunity for the Valuation Office to move all the B's up to C's. Nebs

6:13pm Wed 4 Jul 12

Dids says...

dont seem much of a rebate considering all those years
dont seem much of a rebate considering all those years Dids

7:19pm Wed 4 Jul 12

A Dermot says...

I would want to be paid for living in such a hell hole, these people are so brave, and they pay for the privelage of living in such a fetid dump.
I would want to be paid for living in such a hell hole, these people are so brave, and they pay for the privelage of living in such a fetid dump. A Dermot

7:29pm Wed 4 Jul 12

E-Types. says...

"I’ve never really questioned it, as I’ve never known anything different."

Welcome to mindset England.
"I’ve never really questioned it, as I’ve never known anything different." Welcome to mindset England. E-Types.

8:49pm Wed 4 Jul 12

emcee says...

It's not that easy.
It's not that easy. emcee

8:51pm Wed 4 Jul 12

emcee says...

Exactly. This is one of the main reasons this country can be such a rip-off at times. People just "accept" things as they are, without question. The people charging the money do so because they can get away with it.
Exactly. This is one of the main reasons this country can be such a rip-off at times. People just "accept" things as they are, without question. The people charging the money do so because they can get away with it. emcee

11:02pm Wed 4 Jul 12

Major Incident says...

Nebs wrote:
Good opportunity for the Valuation Office to move all the B's up to C's.
The good news is they can't revalue without legislation being passed for a national re-valuation. Only the Welsh Assembly have been able to manage it, in 2005. In 2010 this Govt. dropped the last Labour Govt's plans to do it in England. Valuations are still based on what a property would have been worth in 1991. There's a valuation formula for calculating new builds against 1991 values.

Will the council be claiming back any overpaid council tax benefits because of wrong banding?
[quote][p][bold]Nebs[/bold] wrote: Good opportunity for the Valuation Office to move all the B's up to C's.[/p][/quote]The good news is they can't revalue without legislation being passed for a national re-valuation. Only the Welsh Assembly have been able to manage it, in 2005. In 2010 this Govt. dropped the last Labour Govt's plans to do it in England. Valuations are still based on what a property would have been worth in 1991. There's a valuation formula for calculating new builds against 1991 values. Will the council be claiming back any overpaid council tax benefits because of wrong banding? Major Incident

11:06pm Wed 4 Jul 12

Diannah says...

What if people check their bands and find that their houses have actually been undervalued. will they then have to pay the difference back to the Council?
What if people check their bands and find that their houses have actually been undervalued. will they then have to pay the difference back to the Council? Diannah

11:07pm Wed 4 Jul 12

Diannah says...

Major Incident wrote:
Nebs wrote:
Good opportunity for the Valuation Office to move all the B's up to C's.
The good news is they can't revalue without legislation being passed for a national re-valuation. Only the Welsh Assembly have been able to manage it, in 2005. In 2010 this Govt. dropped the last Labour Govt's plans to do it in England. Valuations are still based on what a property would have been worth in 1991. There's a valuation formula for calculating new builds against 1991 values.

Will the council be claiming back any overpaid council tax benefits because of wrong banding?
Sorry Major, seems you pipped me to the post with that question!
[quote][p][bold]Major Incident[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Nebs[/bold] wrote: Good opportunity for the Valuation Office to move all the B's up to C's.[/p][/quote]The good news is they can't revalue without legislation being passed for a national re-valuation. Only the Welsh Assembly have been able to manage it, in 2005. In 2010 this Govt. dropped the last Labour Govt's plans to do it in England. Valuations are still based on what a property would have been worth in 1991. There's a valuation formula for calculating new builds against 1991 values. Will the council be claiming back any overpaid council tax benefits because of wrong banding?[/p][/quote]Sorry Major, seems you pipped me to the post with that question! Diannah

11:08am Thu 5 Jul 12

The Cater Wood Creeper says...

A Dermot wrote:
I would want to be paid for living in such a hell hole, these people are so brave, and they pay for the privelage of living in such a fetid dump.
could be worse, could be Craylands or the Five Links or some of these 'lovely' areas of Southend/Westcliff etc we're always reading about on this site....
[quote][p][bold]A Dermot[/bold] wrote: I would want to be paid for living in such a hell hole, these people are so brave, and they pay for the privelage of living in such a fetid dump.[/p][/quote]could be worse, could be Craylands or the Five Links or some of these 'lovely' areas of Southend/Westcliff etc we're always reading about on this site.... The Cater Wood Creeper

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