Joburg takes steps to support valuation objectors
The City is going to make sure that owners who lodged objections will not have to pay rates on the new valuations until the objection is finalised.
City of Johannesburg executive mayor, Herman Mashaba.
City of Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba said he has taken steps to ensure the property owners who objected to their recent property valuation will get further support from the municipality, City Buzz reports.
These owners would be allowed to continue paying the same rates until the objection is finalised.
READ MORE: How to object to shock Joburg property valuations
“The City will ensure no credit management processes will be initiated against objectors, conditioned upon continued payments of their previous rates payments to the City, along with their invoiced service charges. Their invoices will still reflect the rates charge on the new valuation because the law prescribes this,” the mayor said in a press statement.
Although the City received less than half of the 89 000 objections it did in 2013, Mashaba said the additional effort by the City to support those who feel they have received unfair valuations is an important further step implemented by the City.
“A flag will be placed on the accounts with outstanding objection decisions to prevent debt collection action until such time as the objection is resolved. This flag on the account is in respect of the disputed rates account, however, the affected account holders will be expected to continue to pay for all other services.
“Once the objection process is finalised, the objecting property owners will be required to make payment with interest, backdated to 1 July 2018, for the valuation arising from the objection outcome.”
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