One third of occupiers make representations
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€ MORE than one-third of businesses who have received their revised valuation certificates have made representations to the Valuations Office about their proposed new rates which are due to come into effect in January. Some 6,000 commercial premises are being re-assessed in the Fingal area and on June 16th last, the first 5,070 businesses received their proposed valuation certificates. A further 720 were issued on Friday September 11th and the remaining 200 certificates, mainly concerning Dublin Airport, will be issued this week. Making a presentation at the full council meeting last week, Seamus Connolly, manager of the Fingal Revaluation Project, said that 1,848 businesses, or 36% of those which had received their certificates, had made representations.
He said the Valuations Office was currently considering those representations and would discuss those issues raised with occupiers of the properties.
Following the publication of the revised list in December, businesses will then have a 40-day appeal period. The commissioner of valuation will then have six months to consider those appeals.
If the appellant is still dissatisfied, there is a further appeal available to the Independent Valuation Tribunal, which makes a final decision. There is however one further right to appeal to the higher courts on a point of law. Mr Connolly said that almost half (48%) of ratepayers would see an increase in their rates, while 46% would experience a decrease in their liability.
He told councillors that the process would lead to a redistribution of liability among rate payers. 'It will underpin the rate base and secure it from legal challenge and will strike a fair and equitable valuation list,' he said. He added that it was intended to provide a fair and robust means of levying local authority rates. 'The whole process was designed to be a revenue neutral exercise, meaning that the rate take before the reevaluation process should equal the rate take after the process is competed.'
