Sivaniolo Lumelume 
Nasinu Town Council presented its annual report to the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, drawing attention to several significant challenges hindering effective rate recovery.
Nasinu Town Council Manager Corporate Services Imran Khan highlights a major issue affecting the municipality, which is that a substantial number of properties within Nasinu areas remain legally unresolved, with approximately 845 properties lacking proper ownership documentation.
Khan explains that many of these properties have remained in limbo as ownership passed informally from deceased owners to heirs, often spanning several generations.
He notes that due to a lack of formal transfer documentation or wills, ownership of these properties remains undefined, complicating efforts to ensure compliance with rate payments.
“So it is very difficult for the council to take any legal action on that. The only option that gives council on that is to provide more pay for these properties, and this will only have a direct effect if there is a change of ownership. So these are some of the challenges that we face in terms of rate recovery.”
Khan says that without clear ownership records, the Council faces legal limitations on enforcing rate payments from these properties.
He emphasizes that the cumulative unpaid rates from these unresolved properties have reached approximately $5.8 million, adding financial strain to the municipality and impacting services that depend on rate recovery.
The Council is calling for greater awareness and action among property owners to formalize property transfers, especially in cases of inheritance.
