I’m struggling financially. What can I do?
The City acknowledges that due to exceptional circumstances ratepayers may at times encounter difficulty in paying rates and services as they fall due. To apply:
- View the City of Fremantle Financial Hardship Policy to check if you're eligible.
- Complete and submit the Financial Hardship Application form.
If you are unable to meet any of the payment options included on your rate notice, under certain circumstances, the City also offers alternative payment arrangements. Please submit your payment proposal via the online Customer Service Portal.
What happens to overdue rates and interest?
Rates are overdue where no election has been made to enter into an instalment option or a direct debit arrangement, and where rates and charges remain outstanding 35 days after the due date of issue. Overdue rates do not apply where a property is eligible for a full state government rebate or deferral.
Overdue interest will accrue daily at 11% pa on arrears/overdue rating balances until fully cleared. Interest accrued may be cleared in preference to arrears/overdue rating balances from payments received. Overdue interest will not accrue where a property is eligible to a full state government rebate or deferral.
Rate arrears are unpaid rating balances from previous financial periods for which there are no entitlement to defer under the state government rebate scheme.
Recovery proceedings
All arrears/overdue rating balances are subject to accrual of overdue interest and legal recovery proceedings. All property owners are jointly and severally liable for arrears/overdue rating balances and legal recovery costs.
All recovery costs will be charged to the property and along with the arrears/overdue rating balances, be payable in full before cessation of legal recovery proceedings.
Where clearance is not forthcoming as sought, then recovery proceedings via the courts and/or section 6.64 and/or section 6.60 of the Local Government Act 1995 may be instigated.
Court and/or Local Government Act 1995 recovery proceedings
All legal recovery proceeding costs, including collection agency and solicitors, will be charged to the property and will be due and payable in full, along with the debt sought, prior to ceasing the collection proceedings.
Proceedings via the courts may result in an irreversible detrimental notation being applied against each property owner’s Australian credit rating record by the relevant reporting agencies. The credit rating organisations obtain details of legal recovery proceedings direct from the court.
The City is not obligated or responsible to remove any credit notation from a property owner’s credit rating record where legal recovery proceedings are instigated.
Section 6.64 of the Local Government Act 1995
The City where a property is in arrears for a period of 3 years or more may take possession of the property and (a) from time to time lease the land (b) sell the land (c) cause the land to be transferred to the Crown or (d) cause the land to be transferred to itself.
All costs associated with these proceedings, including advertisement and marketing, will be charged to the property and will be due and payable in full, along with the debt sought.
Section 6.60 of the Local Government Act 1995
The City may issue a Rental Garnishee Order on the lessee/tenant of a property. This order will require that lessee/tenant to pay to the City all rentals as they fall due in payment of any arrears and/or overdue rating balances.
All order service costs will be charged to the property and will be due and payable in full, along with the debt sought, prior withdrawing an order.