This judgment may have far-reaching consequences for township developers in South Africa. Municipalities may have to align their rates policies with this judgement.
The draft tariffs of all the municipalities in South Africa should have been tabled towards the end of March. We have summarised the 8 metros and 3 of the larger municipalites here.
Rates Watch has lodged a significant number of appeals in many municipalities across South Africa. Our latest update looks at those appeals that are still outstanding in each major metro.
If any physical or legal changes are made to a property, the municipal valuer must perform a supplementary valuation as instructed by Section 78 of the Municipal Property Rates Act (MPRA). Values can also be amended if the property is over- or undervalued. Recently, we have encountered a number of such cases where values are being amended repeatedly and, we believe, frivolously.
More than 15 years ago, Clive Massel anticipated the difficulties that private municipal valuers would have in tendering for municipal valuation rolls. He came up with the idea of creating a valuation business model that would not be subjected to a tendering process where the tender is often not awarded to the best candidate.
The International Property Institute is th world’s Leading Organization On Property Tax Policy And Practice
Section 118(1) of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, No 32 of 2000 (Municipal Systems Act) states that:
Property owners in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) should be aware of the amended values attributed to their properties by the City’s General Valuation Roll 2023 (GVR 2023).
South Africa, like many countries, grapples with the complexities of property taxation. One noteworthy aspect of this system is the treatment of second dwellings and vacant land, particularly in relation to property rates.
The Ethekwini Municipality’s Draft Rates Policy 2024/2025 is now open for public comment until the 15th March 2024.
The coastal town of Ipswich, Massachusetts, 30 miles north of Boston, has about 6,000 homes built over the course of five centuries.
Ben Espach gives his reaction to the judgement handed down in the High Court in Bloemfontein
A recent court case in Bloemfontein could give the power to local ratepayers to seize back control of rates and services that local governments refuse to provide
As the year draws to a close, we would like to thank our clients, colleagues and staff for another busy and successful year. The Rates Watch offices will be closed from 12 December to 9 January, during which time we hope our staff enjoy a well-earned break. We wish you all a wonderful festive season and a restful holiday!
In Ekurhuleni, the monthly savings from objections, appeals and valuation queries for our clients is nearly R12 million.