After a ridiculous increase in rate charges on his property, North Riding resident Mark de Chalain is fed up with the City Council.
According to de Chalain the city has changed the classification of his property rates from Agricultural to Residential A, and has now increased his monthly fee from R197.10 to R788.70.
He was debited a lump sum of R8905.45 without an explanation as to what it is for, why he is obliged to pay it and why it is legal for this amount to be removed from his account.
“We moved into this property in 2001 and at that time it was categorised as an agricultural property. It was in 2009 that the City Council began billing us with a large amount for our electricity. We later found out that this was because the electricity bill was a separate account from the property account, and we realised we shared an electricity metre with our neighbour at the fault of City Power. We are now in debt with the City because of this,” explained de Chalain.
He stated when the city changed his property from Agricultural to Residential A, they also increased the rates. “The property was worth R1.8 million in 2001. In 2012 it rated R4 051 000. Now it is worth R 6.3 million. We are trying to sell the property and have been told by a real estate agent that we can only sell it for R4 million.”
The City Council has failed to give reasons to de Chalian as to why he is being charged these rates, and why his electricity bill is on a separate account. “My wife and I demand that the city be held reasonable. We do not know what to do, we feel stuck.”
At the time of going to print the Department of Housing and Town Planning did not respond to questions sent to them regarding the matter.
Details: Joburg Connect 011 375 5555.
