Feedback regarding valuation objections expected soon – Hart

Property owners who objected to the City of Ekurhuleni’s (CoE) general valuation roll can expect to receive feedback regarding their objections in the coming weeks.

Ward 18 Clr Heather Hart said feedback on objections will be released in two batches, with the first batch anticipated to be released at the end of September.

She said feedback will be emailed to objectors if an email address was provided to the municipal valuer. It will also be posted to objecting property owners.

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“The feedback will inform property owners on the outcome of the objection,” said Hart.

Although feedback regarding objections is expected soon, Hart described the 2021 to 2025 Ekurhuleni Property Valuation Roll as ‘seriously flawed’.

The two main flaws she identified were properties being omitted from the roll and property owners not being informed of the valuation roll.

According to the Municipal Property Rates Act 6 of 2004, a general valuation must be made of all properties in the municipality.

Hart said although it is acceptable for a small number of properties to be omitted from each valuation roll, she said the number omitted from the 2021 to 2025 roll exceeded that amount.

Hart believes in Edenvale approximately 1 500 properties, which generate an income of estimated income of R5-million for the city, were excluded from the general roll.

She said it was estimated that as many as 100 000 properties from the approximate 650 000 in the city were omitted from the roll.

Hart said after each general roll, a supplementary valuation roll is conducted to include the omitted properties.

“If your property was omitted from the valuation roll it should have been submitted as a section 78 query by the CoE to the municipal valuer appointed to do the supplementary roll.

“Ward 19 Clr Bill Rundle and I are fairly confident that Edenvale’s finance department has submitted the properties omitted from Edenvale’s suburbs.

“Rates on those omitted properties in terms of Section 78 of the Act only become payable on the first day of the month following the posting of notices,” explained Hart.

She said the omission of so many properties from the general valuation roll significantly reduced the income and budget of CoE, specifically between July and September.

Besides affecting the city’s income, Hart said the omission of so many properties affects the city’s collection rate, one of its main key performance indicators (KPIs).

“I believe if this valuation roll continues then the collection rate will be worsened.”

She said to recuperate some of its lost income, the city is making use of Section 50 of the Municipal Property Rates Act 6 of 2004.

Section 50(6) of the act reads: “The lodging of an objection does not defer liability for payment of rates beyond the date determined for payment.”

“The city is claiming it can use Section 50 of the act to submit bulk omissions to the current municipal valuer and backdate the rates charges,” said Hart.

In addition to this, Hart explained property owners who objected and were granted payment extensions or properties where bulk extensions were approved by the city are also receiving disconnection notices for arrear rates payments.

By objecting, property owners notified the finance department of their intent to only pay the estimated value of their property provided in their objection.

Objecting property owners were also required to request payment extensions until the finalisation of the objection and appeals process.

“It is most alarming and concerning,” highlighted Hart.

Hart said in three days, she was informed of 20 residents who received disconnection notices for the end of September.

She said after bringing the matter to the relevant official’s attention, the matter is often resolved quickly.

“Residents need to act on the disconnection notices, it is better not to ignore them,” said Hart.

She encouraged property owners to contact their ward councillor to assist them with the disconnection notices, to notify the finance department of their objection and to confirm their payment extension.

Hart welcomed Edenvale residents to contact her at Heather.Hart@ekurhuleni.gov.za or on 082 902 1834 and encouraged residents in other towns to contact their relevant ward councillor.

A request for comment was sent to the City of Ekurhuleni on September 22, requesting comment by September 23 at 13:00.

At the time of going to print, no comment had been received.

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