[Dallas McConnell]

Sandra is our contact also 🙂

[Dallas McConnell]

Hey Dave,
We get this issue quite a lot at the gong, i think our largest manages about 600+ properties and at last count we had more then 60 managing agents for our LGA.
We generally advise them that paying into our bank account is not one of our preferred payment methods.
Though we did get push back recently from one who turned up with a cheque for the full amount as they didnt want to pay the Bpay fees apparently. It took cashiers hours to receipt hundreds of properties manually.

Its on my to do list for part of a service optimisation council is leading, so if anything comes from it ill let you know.

Regards,
Dallas

[Dallas McConnell]

There is a new version that appears accurate with formulas now on OLG website

https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/councils/council-finances/rating-and-special-variations/

[Dallas McConnell]

Thanks Suzi,

I agree. Hopefully, if it does go this way, this isnt the first step in Revenue NSW running rates. For those that might recall they tried to do some collections in this space a few years ago.

[Dallas McConnell]

If im reading it right, it only means that we have to classify each parcel of land.
No determination on Council imposing the charge and recouping the money.
I think there is a chance we classify the land and Revenue NSW do the collection?

[Dallas McConnell]

Thanks Andrew,

No, we havent received any valuation change. The request is from the ratepayer seeking information on if they are entitled to a discount under Heritage.

The property has a land condition titled “Heritage Item – The House”.
I can hold off on responding to the customer but probably only for a few days.
Cheers,
Dallas

[Dallas McConnell]

Thanks Andrew,

Not sure if the planning team is telling people already but i have just had a customer request lodged from a ratepayer to seek heritage discount under the LEP.

Is there an indication on when we will get some guidance from OLG?

Regards,
Dallas

[Dallas McConnell]

Hi Glynes,

We are the same as Robert at Wollongong, we dont charge for current year and any previous years are charged at $20.50 per notice. We also encourage them to sign up electronically during the process.
Cheers,
Dallas

[Dallas McConnell]

This has cropped up at our Council recently as well.

We had a senior planner signing off, but no checks in place about debts about land, in one of the recent examples we had about 50% of strata units that had a debt attached to it.

Legal have asked me for advice what happens with the debt on the land.

I note up the top of the form it mentions before signing to complete the steps in the info sheet I circulated below which talks about debts, so I imagine the onus would fall on us if we got put to the test in court.
Termination of a Strata Scheme by the Registrar General (nswlrs.com.au) has some more info as well.

Hope this helps.
Dallas

[Dallas McConnell]

Thanks Mr Hay,

Appreciate the response.

Dallas

[Dallas McConnell]

Cherie has some really good info.
The prizes for pay in full had ended by the time i started at Wollongong in 2015, but i do recall the discussions around the inequity of those who couldnt afford to pay in full being disadvantaged.

If memory serves me correctly we did a review after the fact and found that when we stopped offering the pay in full prizes the % of ratepayers who paid in full remained the same, meaning not offering didnt deter or alter ratepayers payment patterns.

As an aside, when i was a ratepayer and before employment at Council the prize of a car did entice me to pay in full those years **though i didnt win 🙁
I recall it running for 2 years.

Cheers,
Dallas

[Dallas McConnell]

Hey Gini,
Emailed some info from the gong.

Hope it helps.

[Dallas McConnell]

I agree with Suzi, 710 wouldnt apply to an SMS as its a prompt and you should still issue your reminder notice as normal.
At Wollongong we used to send an SMS reminder out 2 days before the payment due date to let them know the instalment was due for payment soon. Ratepayers opted into this, and it was built into our e registrations. As in a customer could tick to register to receive notices electronically and also sms notifications from council (t&C applied that was approved by legal)
We used to run a file to show customers with outstanding balance, remove those with a direct debit debit in place then wash it against the registrations. Our former print house PML would send them on our behalf.

[Dallas McConnell]

Hi Robert,

Perfect thanks! In reading that i assume some councils may update each year as it just says they will provide at least once every 3 years but no direction given we are supplied each year. I cant say too much but we have a legal case underfoot and will be interesting to see if they give a determination especially if a ratepayer benefit when valuation is reduced but not affecting a base date year.

Regards,
Dallas

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by Dallas McConnell.

[Dallas McConnell]

Hi Danielle,

Yes, we do that here at Wollongong. Generally once they get to an unacceptable level of fees outstanding, normally around 90 days overdue (depending of value being tipped each month). We notify our waste team and the weighbridge (and the debtor) that credit has been suspended and they have to pay cash each time they go.

Once the overdue amount is paid, we then re-instate the credit facility.

We also have it written in to our Sundry debtor policy, that if an organisation intends to or tips more than 5K per month, we have them complete a directors guarantee for any pty ltd organisations.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Dallas

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