The City of Cape Town's valuation team will soon visit properties in the city that have recently been sold.

Like all local governments, the Cape Town municipality is dependent on the collection of rates to finance its service delivery mandate, and the city's residents are entitled to be charged equitably on the properties they own.

Rates are charged on the estimated market value of the property, and sale prices provide an objective basis for the assessment of market value.

It is therefore essential, and in everyone’s interest, that every private property within the city boundaries be correctly valued.

This is why the City of Cape Town's valuation office monitors and analyses property sales in each suburb every day, to collect data for use in valuation methodologies and techniques. Everyone is adversely affected if sales transactions occur that skew this data.

The purpose of the sales review is to establish the facts of the sale transaction and what the state of the property's value-forming attributes were at the date of sale.

The Department's normal routine business continues, however, with a focus on the maintenance of the property register to reflect any changes to the particulars of the rates valuation roll. Such changes can occur when properties are subdivided, consolidated or demolished.

Data collectors continue to inspect properties and take preliminary measurements of buildings after new building plans have been submitted. The appeal resolution process is well underway with appeal board personnel requiring access to some properties to finalise appeals.

Safety Precaution
Do not allow anyone onto your property who claims to be a data collector or valuer, but cannot identify themselves to your satisfaction.

If you are in any doubt about the identity orauthenticity of the person, please contact the City's call centre on 0860 103 089 to verify that they are authorised to visit your property.

Photographs of valuers and data collectors are also available on the City's website.

If you are not at home
If the valuer or data collector is not able to gain access to your property during working hours, a call back card will be dropped at your property with a telephone number, so that you can arrange a suitable time for the inspection.

Call centre staff will also be able to answer any queries you may have with regard to the supplementary valuation process.

For more information, contact Abigail Morulane, Manager: Business Environment, Valuation Department, on Tel: 021 400 4535.