Mr. Patrice Nisbett – Nevis Island Legal Advisor
Charlestown, Nevis
June 30, 2008
Property owners with objections based on property valuations under the Property Tax Ordinance which was passed in the Nevis Island Assembly in April 2008, can now take their grievances to a body of persons who were given the mandate to make determinations in relation to their objections.
During an interview with the Department of Information on June 30, 2008, Legal Advisor in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Mr. Patrice Nisbett, disclosed that the Valuation Review Board which was appointed by the Minister of Finance Hon. Joseph Parry and became effective as of June 01, 2008, would be chaired by Ms. Yasmin Clarke with members Mr. Mervin Richardson, Mr. Eustace Hunkins, Mr. William Griffin, Mr. Vernon Evelyn and Secretary Mrs. Semona Johnson-Morton.
“The powers of the Board are to determine any complaint that is made before it on a specific matter. For example the tax payer may complain about the description that is placed in a valuation notice that is received.
“They [tax payers] may complain about the particular class in which the property has been assigned to by the Chief Valuation Officer. There are various classes for example the commercial class, residential class the accommodation class. A particular property owner may be dissatisfied about the particular class that is assigned to his or her particular property and then they may make a complaint and this Board has the jurisdiction to make a determination,” he said.
