Merivale reminded of rebates

Press, 9 August 1985, Page 4

Merivale reminded of rebates

Merivale residents, facing increased rates bills, could be eligible for rebates. The Christchurch City Treasurer,'Mr Robert Lineham said yesterday he thought that some Merivale residents would qualify for a rebate on their rates.

The council had a sliding rebate scale with a maximum of $2OO rebate allowable. The rebate was tagged to both the rates bill and the income of a property owner.

The income and rates levels were set by the Government through the Internal Affairs Department.

A ratepayer facing a $lOOO rates bill would be entitled to a full $2OO rebate if his income did not exceed $9412. If his income was more than $11,012, he was not entitled to a rebate. For an income between those two sums a reducing rebate was available.

The ratepayer could add $156 for each of his depen-

dendants to either sum and still qualify, Mr Lineham said.

For a rates bill of $l5OO, the maximum income for a full rebate was $12,080. The income at which rebates ceased was $13,680. For a bill of $lBOO, the maximum for a full rebate was $13,688. The income at which the rebate ceased was $15,288. For a bill of $2OOO, the maximum for a full rebate was $14,750. The rebate ceased at $16,350. For a bill of $2250, the maximum for the full rebate was an income of $16,074. Rebate ceased at $17,674. For a bill of $2500, the maximum was $17,414. Rebates ceased at $19,014.

The provision for $156 for each dependant applied at all levels.

Last year the City Council granted 2842 rebates of varying amounts up to $2OO, said the assistant rating

supervisor, Mr Colin Anderson.

That total was affected by the Government’s holding the income levels for the fourth successive year. Most people’s incomes rose thus making them ineligible for rebates.

In the 1983-84 year the council granted 4259 rebates.

Mr Anderson said the council’s rating office had received some inquiries about rebates in the last few weeks but no more than was usual. He said that under the act governing rates rebates, those ratepayers who had received a rates deferment were not eligible for a rebate as well.

Deferments, or postponements of rates until either the ratepayer died or the property was sold, were available for ratepayers meeting certain criteria, said Mr Lineham. One was that the ratepayer was aged over 70. Each deferment case was treated on its merits by the council.

If rates were deferred, each instalment incurred a 10 per cent penalty. When the ratepayer died or sold their property the total deferred rates had to be paid. The postponed rates were made a legal charge on the property concerned, so that anyone buying the property was aware of the extra

charge. Mr Anderson said there were a number of deferments at present. Mr Lineham said people younger than 70 who were unable to meet rates because of financial difficulties were not usually granted deferments.

“But we would come to some kind of arrangement giving them a period in which to pay,” he said.

All rates in arrears in such cases incurred a 10 per cent penalty. Mr Lineham will present a report on the present Christchurch City rating systems and options for change to the council’s policy and finance committee on Mondav afternoon.