Vassiliki Zafiris spent most of her working life running the former Paragon Restaurant at 101 Monaro Street, Queanbeyan.
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Now no longer able to work, the 76-year-old is reeling after Queanbeyan City Council told her that she will have to pay $30,000 in supplementary rates bills.
“I have had two knee replacements, three hip replacements, a reverse shoulder replacement and both my hands with carpal tunnel,’’ Mrs Zafiris said.
‘‘Now they want to skin me alive.”
Her son, John, said he found out about the rates bungle ahead of the rest of Queanbeyan while seeking copies of rates notices for his mother in mid-June.
But the early warning hasn’t eased his mother’s distress.
“Mum is not sleeping, she is worried and upset,” Mr Zafiris said.
“Just because you have property doesn’t make you rich. My family built what they have off hard work. Mum is 76 and she just can’t afford it.”
Queanbeyan council advised affected ratepayers last week that an audit of its property database going back to the 2009-10 financial year had uncovered $3.7 million worth of outstanding rates.
Cr Jamie Cregan said he was “disgusted” by the rates debacle and described the council’s move to recoup outstanding rates charges as “a gouging of the community for extra money”.
The owners of a large commercial property in Queanbeyan say they are seeking legal advice on their position after being slugged with a $94,000 supplementary rates bill.
“It’s grossly unfair,” a representative of the owners group, who asked not to be named, said. “This bill is more than double the average annual rates at the property.”
The owners’ lawyers were still to determine if previous contracts would give them grounds to recoup the backdated costs from former tenants.
Incensed ratepayers are banding together against the council, with small business operator Lisa Robinson coordinating support for potential legal action against the council via the Facebook page, ‘‘Queanbeyan rates Debacle’’.
The group is holding a community meeting on Thursday from 6.30pm at 24 John Bull Street, Queanbeyan.
Mr Zafiris said he found out about the rates bungle after contacting Queanbeyan Mayor Tim Overall via text message on June 20 to ask for his assistance over his mother’s rates.
Cr Overall said at the time he responded to Mr Zafiris with information that had been provided to all councillors in a February report from council officers.
“The information report advised councillors that there was an intention to proceed with revised invoices for the period of five years,” the mayor said.
“By accepting the report councillors were noting that this was to proceed.”
Cr Overall said the day before Queanbeyan councillors had been provided a schedule indicating the number of properties affected by the error, particularly those that were going to be up for additional bill notices.
Councillors will meet on August 5 to review and discuss the council’s legal advice.
“Councilors will then be very much aware of what they may or may not be able to put forward at the next council meeting,” Cr Overall said.
Cr Cregan said he intended to move a motion to wipe the backdated rates charges, and was vying to expedite the issue and give those facing exorbitant bills some relief by calling an extraordinary meeting before the next monthly meeting of council.
