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Another chance to object against property valuation

Date: 06 April 2019 By: Andries van Zyl

Property owners in Makhado who area unhappy about their current property valuations now have another chance to object against the original valuation.

The Makhado Municipality announced that as from 1 April until 17 May this year, the municipality’s third supplementary valuation roll for 2019/2020 would be open for public inspection. This will give property owners another chance to object against the latest 2018 to 2023 valuation roll which came into effect on 1 July last year.

The almost R10 million tender for the compilation of the 2018/23 valuation roll for Makhado was awarded to Port Elizabeth-based company Geospatial Valuation Technologies (GVT). From the outset, questions were asked as to why such a tender had been awarded to an outside company not familiar with the local property market. Many described their “new valuations” as nothing more than a thumb suck, especially since a vast number of properties had been greatly over-valued. This was especially the case with farms, some of which had increased in value by between 200% and 500% in a mere four years.

“Nothing but glorified stealing!” This is how well-known businessman Mr Robert Rauch from Louis Trichardt earlier this year described the property rates he is being charged monthly. According to Rauch, he is being charged nine times the amount in property rates than what he was being charged according to the 2014/18 valuation roll for his factory, Dinnermates, in the industrial area.

Another businessman who is fuming, and rightfully so, about his property valuation is Mr Aslam Akoo. The Zoutpansberger previously wrote about his being charged more than R50 000 in property rates every month after his 2 855m² erf in Rissik Street was valued at just over R50 200 000 by GVT. According to the municipality’s 2014/2018 valuation roll, the value of the same property was placed at a more market-related R1 015 000.

In Mr Akoo’s case, the municipality admitted that the R50 million valuation was a gross mistake. They argued, however, that neither Rauch nor Akoo had initially objected against their property valuation when the roll was open for public inspection and they were therefore, by law, required to pay the monthly rate even though it might be incorrect. The municipality’s advice to Rauch and Akoo was to wait for the publication of the third supplementary roll to lodge an objection.

So, now is the time for property owners if they have any objection against their current property valuation. The third supplementary valuation roll is available for inspection at office C027 at the Makhado Civic Centre in Krogh Street, Louis Trichardt, from 08:00 until 13:00 and again from 14:00 until 16:00 on weekdays. The roll can also be inspected at the regional administrator’s offices at Waterval, Dzanani and Vleifontein satellite office. In addition, it can also be view at the website www.makhado.gov.za.

“An invitation is hereby made in terms of Section 49(1) of the Act (Local Government Municipal Property Rates Act 6 of 2004) that any property owner or other person who so desires should lodge an objection with the Municipal Manager in respect of any matter reflected in, or omitted from the third supplementary valuation roll within the above-mentioned period, that is on/before 17 May 2019,” the municipality stated.

The objection form for lodging an objection is obtainable at the civic centre, also at office C027, as well as the above-mentioned regional offices and the municipality’s website.

For more information, the public are invited to phone Mr Ndivhuwo Thanyani or Mr Alfred Nekhavhambe at Tel 015 519 3083 or 015 519 3296.

 

 
 
 

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Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

 
 

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