POLOKWANE – The city’s draft valuation roll, to be compiled by Durban-based company E-Valuations Enhanced Property Appraisals, is yet to be released to the municipality, in spite of it having been due by the end of December.
This, after the company had already received a one-month extension, with the municipality originally having wanted the draft valuation roll by the end of November last year.
The valuation tender was, however, advertised quite late and bids only closed on July 31. The final evaluation roll should have been ready by January 31, according to the Municipal Property Rates Act.
The roll would then probably have been released by March or April for inspection for a period of 30 days, as stipulated by law. This is the period during which property owners would be able to lodge objections against valuations perceived too high, or increases in valuations deemed too much when benchmarked against the sales of similar properties in the area.
Municipal spokesperson, Matshidiso Mothapo, said the date for submission was extended and approval requested from the Treasury MEC due to aerial photographs being required as part of the project.
Due to bad weather experienced in December the photos could not be taken, he added.
Mothapo could not give a date as to when the draft roll would be submitted, and said it depended on “internal processes”. Notices would be sent to residents as soon as the roll was submitted, as per section 49 of the Municipal Property Rates Act, Mothapo said.
Evaluations’ project coordinator for Polokwane, Bob Kistnasamy, said the final valuation roll had to be submitted by the end of February, as the date had been extended to that date.
He said the time afforded the company to compile the roll was too short, as it usually took a year to prepare a municipal valuation.
By October last year, the legal service level agreement had not yet been entered into between the municipality and the service provider, he further said.
According to law, no work was to commence before a service level agreement had been entered into.
Around 70 000 deeds are required for the compilation of the Polokwane valuation roll, and new ownership had to be verified.
When asked if the new roll was based on the 2013 rates policy, as according to law the municipality had to have a rates policy to be annually accepted, and a by-law drafted and accepted for the policy, Mothapo said: “The municipal rates policy will be reviewed as required by the Act and will accompany the municipality’s annual budget when it is tabled in council.
“The property valuation roll is based on the current market value of the property and not determined by the policy. Public participation on the review of the policy for the 2014/15 will be undertaken”.
• A rates policy guides the city in all aspects of levying rates on property owners, defining the categories of property as well as specifying the categories of property ownership that may qualify for rates, rebates and exemption under the Municipal Property Rates Act.
