Thabiso Kotane speaks to Angela Rivers, MD of the Johannesburg Property Owners and Managers Association (JPOMA) about billing issues in the City of Johannesburg. The City of Joburg (CoJ) is racking up huge legal costs by failing to address billing issues raised by residents timeously, before they reach the courts. It routinely opposes applications, which it then loses with costs – which are paid out of revenue squeezed out of ratepayers. This is a vicious cycle that results in a further burden of unfair tariff increases that residents have no choice but to shoulder, according to the Johannesburg Property Owners and Managers Association (JPOMA).