Change to rating of some flats

Press, 12 March 1985, Page 9

Change to rating of some flats

Groups of ownership flats on separate land titles will be rated from April 1 as if they were ordinary houses, the Christchurch City Council’s finance and policy committee decided yesterday. The council’s policy has been changed because last year Government valuers altered their way of valuing ownership flats on separate titles. As this alteration increased the flats’ value, the owners would face considerable increases in rates if the council did not change the rating system, said the council’s deputy treasurer, Mr Vic Sykes. The change would keep equality between rates

paid by owners of these flats and rates paid for groups of flats on only one land title. Owners of ownership flats might have a small rate increase this year but it was not possible to predict a general figure as rates varied from property to property, council staff told the committee. Rates remissions on 22 privately owned open properties in the city would increase 15 per cent to 65 per cent this year, the committee decided. The chairman, Mr M. J. Glubb, said the landowners faced a big rating increase because the Valuation Department had decided to value the land on the basis

of zoning rather than use. The 15 per cent increase in remissions would keep the rates down to levels paid in previous years. The 22 affected owned land used as sports grounds and golf courses which the public enjoyed, Mr Glubb said. “The council should give them encouragement to retain this land for the benefit of the community.” The meeting went into committee to discuss each property owner’s case. Museum The committee recommended paying $409,121 to the Canterbury MuseumTrust Board as the council’s contribution to the museum budget. Last year the council paid $343,201.