City of Johannesburg accused of changing property values to hike water and power rates: report
The City of Johannesburg is illegally changing its residents’ property ratings from residential to business, thereby increasing their monthly rates, according to municipal specialist attorney Chantelle Gladwin, who says she has seen a recent influx of cases in which clients have approached her with this complaint.
“It has come to our attention that the city’s valuations and rates departments have begun implementing an old policy on a mass basis,” she said, speaking to The Star.
“This is having an enormously detrimental impact on certain members of the public because they are being charged rates based on the business tariff when they should be charged rates on the residential tariff, and their attempts to rectify the problem are being met with bureaucracy,” she said.
Under the current system, rates charges are based on the rating categorisation the municipal valuer puts on the property.
According to Gladwin, the valuer must follow the Local Government: Municipal Property Rates Act, which is strict on any deviation from procedure.
“Any interference by the rates department with the rates charges billed in respect of the rating category and value determined by the municipal valuer is unlawful.”
“Notwithstanding this, which has been explained to various officials many times over the years, the city’s rates and/or billing departments continue to interfere,” she said.
Revenue department spokesperson, Kgamanyane Maphologela, denied the allegations, stating that the City applied new rates on 1 July.
“It’s factually incorrect to say the city is using the old policy to charge property rates. The policy states all rateable property will be classified in a category and will be rated based on the category of the property from the valuation roll, which is based on the permitted use of the property.”
At no stage would the city unilaterally change the customer’s tariff without consent, said Maphologela .
“The rates policy was a public document available to everyone. Customers who were victims of harassment should immediately report those incidents,” he said.
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