If you believe the municipal valuer has over-valued your property, you should contest this; if justified, the valuer will be amended. If an objection is not lodged during the advertised objection period there is little prospect of having the municipal valuation amended, barring special circumstances.
The properties are compared by erf size, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms and quality class. Needless to say, this automated mass valuation method cannot take into account factors that require a keen (human) eye, such as state of repair, specific design, etc. This often leaves the accuracy of such valuations in doubt.
The trustees of a body corporate must present a Schedule of Replacement Values (SRV) at the AGM for approval. It should reflect the replacement cost of each section and its undivided share in the common property.
Experience has taught us that approximately two thirds of all residential homes and contents are underinsured by between 20 – 50%. The reality is that very few property owners are correctly covered.
The policy will indicate whether the retaining walls are covered and list any exclusions which apply to them. If retaining walls are not specifically excluded, and the damage which happens is caused by something other than the mentioned exclusions, the retaining wall will be covered within the terms of the policy. Certain retaining walls are uninsurable due to the nature of their construction and the intrinsically higher incidence of damage claims related to them.