[John Towers]

The rate book is a record of all transactions throughout a year, owners name, property details, ASON, levy, payments, interest, legal costs etc. Whilst most are electronic these days in years gone by they were kept on microfiche or microfilm or even hardcopy.

All Councils should have this information available for many years. I know at NSC we have records back to 1970’s which are easily accessed. I’m sure I look I could go back further.

From this I could advise what rates were levied in a particular year. This is what I think your customer is looking at. At previous Councils I have been asked to provide details for 30+ years for court cases etc which were able to be provided. I would think this is a fairly common occurrence.

What I think 25.5.4 refers to is actual copies of notices rather than a rate book history. I don’t think your customer wants copies of the actual notices but details of the amounts payable for the various years. If someone was looking at possessory title for a property they would need up to 20 years details.

If you can’t go back far enough from your records then there are ways that you should be able to calculate what was payable for each year etc.

I just hope that you have something in your F&C’s to cover the time you would spend getting the information together.

JT