This section gives information on when your rates are due, what discounts are available, penalties on late payments, ways to pay your rates and overdue rates accounts.
Instalment Due Dates
The Council's financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June, and
rates are charged in four equal instalments. Invoices are posted out
approximately 4-5 weeks before the due date.
| Instalment | Due Date | Last Date for Payment |
| 1 | 20 August
| 27 August
|
| 2 | 20 November
| 27 November
|
| 3 | 20 February
| 27 February
|
| 4 | 20 May
| 27 May
|
Penalty Charge for Late Payment
A 10% penalty is added to any part of an instalment which remains unpaid after the last date for payment shown above.
Discount for Early Payment of Total Rates
A
discount, amounting to 4% of the general rate, roading rate and
community services rate, is allowed if the total year's rates, including
rates collected on behalf of Environment Canterbury (the Canterbury
Regional Council) are paid in full before the last date for payment of
the first instalment, i.e. 27 August.
Penalty Charge on Rates Arrears
A penalty charge amounting to 10% of the amount of unpaid rates
from previous financial years, including any penalty charge imposed
before 30 June in the previous financial year, will be added in July and
January each year.
Payment Methods
The Council accepts the following methods of payment:
Online Credit Card Payments
Secure online credit card payments
can be made using the link below. Please have your Valuation Number
handy (on your Rates bill) and your credit card number.
Please
note: an Online Convenience fee of 2.4% of the amount paid is charged
for all payments made using this method. The minimum Online Convenience
fee is $3.00.
Waimakariri District Council does not receive any of this fee.
Cash, Cheques and Eftpos (excluding credit cards)
Payments may be made at the Kaiapoi, Rangiora and Oxford Service Centres. Post-dated cheques are accepted. Cheques may be posted in to the Council. Please do not post cash.
Direct Debits
Options available for payment by direct debit
include weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly (instalment due date)
and annual payment to claim discount.You complete and sign an application form (pdf, 237 kB) (also available from all service centres)
and we advise the amount of each payment, and the dates that payments
will be debited. If you want to stop or change a direct debit, a call to the Council is all that's required.
Automatic Payments
Ratepayers may direct credit a regular amount
from their bank account into the Council's account. Automatic payments
should be set to ensure that the total year's rates payment is spread
evenly across the financial year. Council staff can help you to
calculate this amount.
Telephone or Internet Banking Transfers
Instalment payments or a regular amount may be transferred to the
Council through a telephone or online transfer. Use your valuation roll
number for the payment reference. The bank account for telephone/internet payments is 01 0877 0129222 00.
Overdue Accounts
If you are not able to pay your rates we encourage you to talk to the Rates Collection Team as
soon as possible so we can help you set up a payment plan that will
bring the account up to date before any collection action is taken.
Email us at rates@wmk.govt.nz
Collection of rates from the mortgagee
Following
the end of each financial year, the Council may notify a mortgagee of
rates owing on any property that a bank or finance company holds a
mortgage over.
Three months after this advice, the Council can demand payment of rates arrears from the mortgagee.
If
you have a mortgage on your property it is in your interests to contact
the Council before an approach is made to the mortgagee. Once a demand
for payment has been made to a mortgagee, there is no further
opportunity for the ratepayer to make a payment arrangement with the
Council for the payment of the arrears.
Court proceedings
Where there is no mortgage on a property, the Council will begin
proceedings in the District Court to recover unpaid rates. The cost of
taking court action is generally added to the debt.
>
Court action can result in the property being sold with the proceeds being used to clear unpaid rates.
back to top .