Since January, 192 objections to new land tax rates have been processed by the Land Valuation Department, a spokesman said yesterday.

Eighty people have agreed to an amended annual rental value to their homes and 112 taxpayers have withdrawn their objections after the Department checked their figures.

The spokesman said 925 objections were filed before January out of a total of 31,004 "valuation units'' or apartments including owner occupied homes.

The rest have been assured by the Department that their objections would be processed "in due course''.

All successful objections will be backdated to July 1, 1999, when the new legislative changes in the rates came into effect.

The spokesman said: "In a number of cases we are awaiting the taxpayer's decision as to whether or not they accept the valuer's review of their assessment.

"However eight objectors within a single development have informed us that they wish to have their objections heard by the (Land Valuation Appeal) Tribunal,'' he added.

The objection process involves a technician rechecking the dimensions inside and outside the property in question, followed by a visit by a valuer who will hear the objector's contentions.

The valuer will then recalculate the ARV resulting in either an increase, decrease or no change.

At this point, the landowner can accept the change or withdraw the objection or the case moves on to the Tribunal.

"Unfortunately, resolving objections is a very time consuming process,'' the spokesman said. "However, we will deal with each objector individually, meeting him or her at their property...