I noticed that council has increased the value of my property for the next next statement: 2020-2021. Is this happening to everyone else, and what do you think of it?
(The council did offer 10% discount as a result of COVID, but I feel that the property price has not gone up)
Perhaps the area median had gone up at valuation. I know that many have been fighting against the increases citing especially that people aren't even able to utilise the services to their full extent during covid.
But I gather that the funding that councils require and expect are quite rigid.
my cost has gone up vs last year. not good.
not sure about house value, havent checked vs last year.
But no way my house value has gone up if thats what they reckon
Most, if not all, rates are calculated on unimproved land value - i.e as an empty block with nothing on it.
It's how councils move non-rich people out of an area when it becomes popular & valuable.
If rates took any buildings into account, people would lower their rates by building houses that look run down on the outside.
Rates in NSW are based on the land value, excluding any buildings.
The latest set of land value increases are based on several years of data, and were finalised a year ago. So they don't include the last 12 months, but do include the 2 years before that.
Councils income from rates is fixed, and increases by approved amounts each year.
How much each resident pays varies by the amount their land is worth. So your land could increase in value, but your rtes could go down if other people's places went up more.
As for rates reductions during COVID, most council expenses are getting paid whether people are using the services or not. And councils have had some increased costs to deal with COVID. So there isn't much scope to give rates discounts unless you are happy for the council to go into debt to lower rates now that will go up more in future.
Thanks for the explanation. So the rate is from data that 2 years old? If would be helpful if they say that on the statement, or improve the process by determining the rate using the data from the previous year (which is the most logical).
In NSW we get a letter explaining this with a notice of assessment from the valuer general. There is also a process for appealing the decision.
I'm not sure how it works in other states.
There was a guy on the Gold Coast a few years ago who had to apologise to all his neighbours after appealing his rates valuation. Council found an error in the formula which revised everyone in the unit complex's rates up.
Ahh yes here is the monthly council rates thread
Is it even based on the value of the Property?
In Perth, councils use Gross Rental Value as the valuation figure..
It's based on Capital Improved Value - last year's statement is $990,000, and this year $1,230,000. So even with the 10% COVID discount, the rate is still higher than last year. LOL.
Guaranteed they only gave the discount because they know they increase in $ value would be huge.
Greedy (profanity)… and then they expect you to mow the (council property) lawn after taking all that money…
You understand as a resident you own the council property you are mowing, right?
It would be a bit short sighted to insist you pay higher rates to employ somebody to come and do it for you.
@mskeggs: Let's be honest, no one likes to look after the lawn on the nature stripe, It's a waste of petrol, people's money and time. Just put concrete over it.
@blackmam8a24: It's not hard to look after mate get over it. My nature strip is just grass, and gallahs love using it every afternoon, and there are lots of bees in the clover flowers at the moment too. Last I checked these creatures don't thrive on concrete.
@JakeyJooJoo: Society advances as people find solutions to tedious and mundane tasks. If we all had your mentality, there will be no dishwasher or washiing-machine. There is already robots doing the lawn. I'm merely pointing out a fact that humans need to have more time for their families, more enjoyable activities or higher level tasks.
@blackmam8a24: Different people enjoy different things. Pretty sure I’d rather have a bit extra mowing than a patch of concrete.
Would I like a robot mower? For sure.
My rates notice came too and also increased around 24%, with rates going up around 20% too. It’s such a joke, but what can we do other than keep paying? Governments ask what they want and we just cop it I suppose.
I should ask, which council you in?
You could send it back and ask them to provide an itemised account. Just for funsies so then you'll know how much of your tax goes to actual services and how much goes into the government black hole called 'general revenue'. :)
@EightImmortals: It’s not about where the taxes go, it’s how a property can go up 20ish %, when the average for the area is 1.1% according to the statement.
So my property is vastly outperformed my neighbourhood.
@cloudy: Yes, that's the scam, they can adjust the 'value' of your property to whatever they like and tax you accordingly. It's like some people think that just because your house is worth more than theirs then somehow that means you use more services than other people and should pay more. Yet we all drive on the same roads and the same rubbish collectors pick up our wheelie bins each week.
Things costing more than they did last year will be an ongoing thing you will experience in life.
Have you bought petrol in the last 6 months?
Nice you have proven that nothing goes up in price.
If the rates don't go up, how can councils pay people more then your states premier?
A few 40 year old blokes making 400k a year and a CEO on over a million, then a token quirky major who is loved by old people.
Here in SA, a metro council gave the CEO a 150k modified landcruiser a few years ago (Playford).
Whenever there is no competition and no transparency in how they spend the money. It's a mess.
At least the government publish all their spending on a government website.
I have no issues of increasing rates, but doing it during COVID19 when everyone is doing tough is ruthless.
It's called 'taxation' and it goes up automatically, if you don't pay it they will steal your house and land. What? You didn't think you 'owned' your property did you? And now they are scheming to replace the one off stamp duty tax with a perpetual 'land tax' as well.
Okay, with that logic next time you decide to go to park or use any public facility please take a note that this "point-less" tax is funding all these little things we take granted. That weekend BBQ we all enjoy? Funded by this tax which includes some park fees. That library which has many community functions, same thing.
There are silly taxes out there but I don't think council rates is one of them.
Hey you might be in the same one as me? Is it short and start with M?
This is my first year paying rates and I'm shocked at how high it is. It's close to 2k and that's after the discount. I don't understand how that can be the case when the average rate is apparently $1.5k, and my landsize is under 300sqm (being a town house). Why is my rate so much higher than average (since most of the value is in the land) , and my land size is that of a town house smaller than the double sized blocks I see everywhere??
Moreland?
Is the value of propertyy in your region going up? Are people in your region generally in safe jobs?