Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, “annual value” means an amount equal to the rent at which any property might reasonably be expected to let from year to year 6 if the tenant undertook to pay licence duties (if any), and the landlord undertook to pay the rates and fees and to bear the cost of repairs, insurance and other expenses (if any), necessary to maintain the property in a state to command that rent or the actual rent received if this is greater than the rent at which the property might reasonably be expected to let; “holding of real property” means every separate parcel of land and each separate tenement or house that is dedicated either temporarily or otherwise to the uses of any person or persons other than the person or persons in possession of the legal estate; “local authority” means, (a) in respect of Belize City, the Belize City Council constituted under the Belize City Council Act, Cap. 85; (b) in respect of the City of Belmopan, the Belmopan City Council constituted under the Belmopan City Council Act, Cap. 86; and (c) in respect of any other town, the Town Council of that town as constituted under the Town Councils Act Cap. 87; “owner” includes the person having the management or control of property or having the collecting or receiving of rents, issues or profits thereof, a part owner, and a lessee from the Crown or from a local authority; “property” shall have the same meaning as “real property” and “holding of real property”; “real property” includes all lands, tenements and hereditaments together with all houses and other erections built into or permanently attached to the soil but does not include machinery; 7 “town” means Belize City, that is, such area as the Minister may from time to time by Order published in the Gazette declare to constitute Belize City, and until such publication of any such Order means all such land as described in the Third Schedule to this Act, and including Ambergris Caye exclusive of the area comprised in the Town of San Pedro, Caye Caulker and St. Georges Caye, the City of Belmopan, and each town named and described in the Schedule to the Town Councils Act, Cap. 87; “unoccupied property” shall not include property temporarily untenanted or from which the owner or occupier is temporarily absent; “valuation officer”, in relation to a valuation roll, means such officer as may be appointed by the Minister to act (either generally or for a particular purpose) as a valuation officer in relation to a valuation roll; “value” means, in the case of unoccupied property, the price which a property in its then condition might be expected to realise if sold in the open market by a willing seller to a willing purchaser free from all encumbrances other than rates and fees; “Valuations Appeal Board” means a Valuations Appeal Board established under section 15 of this Act.