This week’s question from Ricus Kemp is:
My wife and I stay in a sectional title complex in Malanshof. It is more than a year since I started trying to solve this problem. I first took it up with our trustees and the managing agent without any success.
The issue is that we are being charged on our levy account for sewage at a rate higher than what my interpretation of the rates is.
I managed to get the contact details of the legal advisor of Johannesburg Water and asked him whether my interpretation is correct.
He came back to me and confirmed that my interpretation is correct and also informed me that the legal advisor for City Revenue also confirmed the correctness of my interpretation.
I then went to the Randburg walk-in centre to try and have this resolved. The answer that I got was that as the body corporate is the account holder we are not entitled to be charged at the lower rate.
The implication for us as pensioners is: As pensioners in terms of the rates policy we are entitled to 100 per cent rebate on property rate charges. In terms of the budget regarding sewer and sanitary charges under point 2.1, we should be charged R194.67 + 15 per cent VAT.
We are, however, being charged R378.95 + 15 per cent VAT. The difference is R211.92 per month which comes to an overcharge of R2 543.04 per year. This is quite a significant amount for us as pensioners.
Ward 117 councillor, Tim Truluck, answered:
Section 2.3 in the approved Sewerage and Sanitation tariffs for 2018/19 says the following for multiple dwellings:
“(a) Where two or more dwelling units have been erected on a single erf, an erf size shall be determined in respect of each dwelling house erected on such property, by dividing the area of the erf by the number of dwelling units erected thereon.
The charge shall then be levied in respect of each such dwelling house in accordance with the provisions of section 2.1 above, provided that the minimum charge shall be R378.95 per unit per month.”
This means that there is a minimum charge for a sectional title unit starting at R378.95 plus VAT per unit per month for all properties up to 1 000m².
To change it, residents need to comment on the next rates policy in February/March in 2019.
Do you have a question for a ward councillor?
As a local newspaper, the Northcliff Melville Times provides a platform for residents to learn about, understand and follow local government.
As an extension of that, there is a weekly column called Councillor’s Corner which is a platform for you, our readers, to voice your concerns or questions for ward councillors to respond to.
Different, willing, ward councillors will respond to a question each week.
Email your burning question to aimeed@caxton.co.za and let’s get the ball rolling.
