News & Updates

THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN VALUATION ROLL OBJECTIONS: THE SAGA CONTINUES!

Feb 14, 2020

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As most property owners will be aware, the City of Cape Town’s 2018 General Valuation roll was published in February 2019.This roll presents a value upon which municipal rates are calculated until the next roll is issued (a 3-5 year cycle at present).

Should you have felt that the value was inflated and would thus result in unfairly high rates being billed for the property, the City provided that an objection could be submitted by property owners and the deadline for objections was set at 30 April 2019.

So you found your property on the valuation roll and nearly fell off your chair at the value that the City ascribed to your property! Then you pulled yourself up and duly got your supporting documents together and wrote your letter objecting to the valuation and submitted it all in time. You received your confirmation from the City that they have received your objection and it will be dealt with in due course. And now you wait…

You follow up diligently and keep getting the standard “The contents of your e-mail have been noted and the matter is receiving attention.” The City has subsequently advised that the objections process is likely to only be resolved by December 2020!

The new rates came into effect in July 2019 and you were billed on the amount contained in the valuation roll – your new rates bill makes your eyes water and your wallet lighter. In fact you can hardly keep up with these payments, and begin to fall into arrears. Fear not, for we have now been advised by the City that if your objection is yet to be resolved the City will not take action against the ratepayer… yet.

Until an objection is resolved, the City has arranged for a ‘lock’  to be placed on all accounts with unresolved objections to ensure that no debt collection action will ensue and that you do not receive any letters demanding that you pay outstanding amounts on the rates portion of your municipal account pending the outcome of your objection. Remember that this lock only safeguards the rates portion of your municipal account, and that services such as water, electricity and sewerage remain payable in full monthly. The City will allow you to pay rates based your previous valuation and any extra amount which you deem to be fair.

Once your objection has been resolved, your rates account will be updated to reflect the decision and your account will be backdated to the date of implementation.

This is some good news and we hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel as far as the resolution of objections is concerned.