This Is Guernsey

By Simon Tostevin

PORTINFER Timber Yard owner Harry Teal is slightly happier after having had his property tax reassessed. He was left dumbfounded at the end of last year when he found out that his annual bill had gone up from £86 to about £1,450.

But following a visit from Cadastre staff, he has been told to expect a bill of roughly £630.

Mr Teal said staff admitted to him that a mistake had been made in interpreting aerial pictures and they had incorrectly treated his office as part of his workshop.

He was also told they had wrongly treated an area of land next door to the yard as being his own.

‘Until I get the paperwork through and I see it there printed in black and white, I will take it with a pinch of salt.

‘They made their mistake as soon as they started relying on aerial pictures. How can you tell what people are actually using their property for unless you go round and see for yourself?

‘The States tell us the rates had to go up because they had been too low for too long.

‘But it’s because they need the money to fill the black hole. That’s the truth of it.’