Hi all, 

My name is Monica -Team Leader Rates at Cairns Regional Council. My team administers the State Pensioner Subsidy and a Council Remission. I am interested in how other Councils handle pensioners concessions for pensioner selling the property in which a concession was granted. In particular the communications between Council, ratepayer and Solicitor to reduce re-visiting of communications for pro rata paybacks. 

The requirement to pay back concession/s is listed on the land record search. However as the moving date is unknown we can not provide an exact value. 

We are experiences variations on calculations 'dates' for pay backs. Solicitor use settlement date to pro rata on calendar days, ratepayer ( if reapply) use moving date, Council uses spilt years days (182.50days per period).

In some instances the pensioner may re-apply on another property before settlement.( this may occur after land record search was issued, but before settlement).

Q1. How do you avoid to-and-fro information with solicitors to effectively administer the ratepayers payback? 

Q2. How do you reconcile the variance in pay back figure?

Q3. How to you manage new application on 2nd property, if pending settlement details on 1st property?