A couple has been awarded a whopping £4,000 after a decade-long dispute over their council tax bills, crediting TV finance guru Martin Lewis for the win.

Peter and Tracey Craigmile have revealed that the previous occupant of their home also received a 20-year rebate following their triumph against the local council.

The pair had long questioned why their residence was placed in a pricier council tax band than all other homes on their street.

Their saga began in July 2015 when they settled into their three-bedroom bungalow in Milltown of Rothiemay, Scotland.

Baffled by their Band F classification, which contrasted with their neighbours' Band E properties, they heeded the advice of money-saving whizz Martin Lewis and requested Moray Council to send an assessor for a reevaluation.

Peter recalls the fleeting visit that ensued in August, saying: "The guy barely got out of his car. He certainly didn't go in our home.

"He just stood on the driveway and said it was definitely a band F property because it has a large double garage.

"I replied, 'We don't live in the garage'.

"He then mumbled something about the fact he was retiring in a fortnight and drove away."

Peter is aware that among the eight houses on their street, theirs was the sole Band F property and suspects it might have been the only one in the entire village.

Despite repeated requests for another assessment over the years, the couple's pleas were initially ignored.

In 2023, the situation almost escalated when Peter informed the council that he and Tracey would only pay the same amount as their neighbours, even if it meant taking the matter to court.

Peter stated: "Without going on his website I'd never have known you can go to court if you think your property is in the wrong band."

He says that, after being promised a new assessment by the council, they then decided to relent and pay the full Band F amount after all. However, when the new assessment never materialised, they finally opted to go down the legal path in 2024.

A date was set for a hearing in the upper tier of the Scottish Tribunal system. But, before the case could be heard, the council arranged for an inspector from Grampian Assessors to visit during December.

Peter says: "After being promised a new assessment by the council, they decided to pay the full Band F amount.

However, when the new assessment didn't materialise, they chose to pursue legal action in 2024. A hearing was scheduled in the upper tier of the Scottish Tribunal system.

Before the case could be heard, an inspector from Grampian Assessors visited in December. Peter recalled: "A woman came around with a laser measuring tool and looked around the whole place, as well as the outsides of the other properties on the street."

He added, "Her verdict was what we'd been saying all along."

Their bungalow has now been reclassified as Band E, backdated to 1995, the year it was built.

But Peter warned: "However, there is a complication. You need to be able to prove you lodged an appeal within six months of moving into your property."

Fortunately, they were able to provide this proof. Peter concluded: "According to Martin Lewis there may be hundreds of thousands of households across the UK who are paying the wrong amount of council tax."

The result extends beyond just the £4000 refund for Peter and Tracey.

An 80 year old widow, who previously lived in the bungalow, has received a windfall after being refunded for two decades of council overcharges.

Margaret Wilson, now residing in Banchory, was reimbursed following the discovery that she had been erroneously overcharged by the local authority.

A Moray Council spokesperson explained: "Any homeowner with a query about the valuation band of their property can contact the Grampian Assessor where any appeal to a band's valuation can be made.

"Moray Council cannot change the band of a property, the Assessor is responsible for the preparation and maintenance of the Council Tax Valuation List.

"In this case, the band was appealed and changed through the Assessor, who notified us of the error in valuation, resulting in our issuing a rebate as standard where this has occurred."