The City of Cape Town has completed its assessment of objections to the 2006 general valuation roll.

Objectors have been notified of the result by means of posted notices. Any appeals will be heard by the Valuation Appeal Board and must be lodged via an official appeal form. The valuation roll will be adjusted based on the Board’s decision. Should the Board consider an appeal to be frivolous, costs will be awarded against the objector.

Approximately 55 000 objections, late objections and other queries lodged by ratepayers who felt that their properties had been overvalued or undervalued were dealt with, largely by means of physical inspections. The City used internal and external valuers to complete the task, which was undertaken over many months.

"About eight per cent of the 735 000 property owners on our database lodged objections, late objections and other value related queries to the new valuations. We promised that we would complete our assessment of these by the end of September and this target was met thanks to the dedication of our staff and the agents contracted by the City to assist in this process. Details of the reviewed properties are being audited and will be forwarded to the Billing Department for the records to be adjusted" said Christopher Gavor, Director: Valuations, Finance Directorate.

According to Chief Financial Officer Mike Richardson, the vast majority of Cape Town residents have paid their municipal accounts promptly since the introduction of the new rates and tariffs from 1 July last year. “We would like to thank them for doing so. Their action ensures that money is available for service delivery and for investing in much-needed new infrastructure and the upgrading of existing infrastructure," he said.

"There seems to be a broad understanding that new property valuations, according to the ‘market value’ of the property, are a legal requirement, and are not an arbitrary tax imposed by local government. Relief measures and rebates are being applied to new rates and charges in the municipal accounts. Many residents have applied for relief measures in terms of the City's indigent policy, or other rebates such as the pensioners rebate," he added.