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Body found in Hope is missing Chilliwack man Police confirm speculation Robert Freeman The Progress A body found near Hope has been positively identified as Robert-Jan Planje, the 64-year-old Chilliwack man last seen alive on Dec. 12. Police said earlier they believe foul play is involved in Planje’s death, but they are not releasing autopsy results showing how he died or the injuries he sustained. The positive identification was made using several methods during the autopsy completed late Tuesday. “Although investigators are not going to be releasing the manner in which the victim died or the injuries sustained, they are able to confirm that this is indeed a homicide,” Cpl. Dale Carr, spokesman for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said Wednesday. He also said police believe Planje “knew the person responsible for his death.” “We have nobody in custody in relation to the murder of Planje,” he said in an email to The Progress, adding that it’s always IHIT’s goal “to hold someone accountable as soon as possible.” “This is an active, on-going investigation that once we have what we feel are the facts and evidence to support a charge, we will make a presentation to Crown (counsel) to seek approval,” he added. Chilliwack RCMP were called to Planje’s home at the Rainbow trailer park in Chilliwack on Dec. 13 to check on his well-being after a report of an altercation there the previous night. Planje was last seen alive the previous day at the mobile home that he had been sharing recently with another man. Police later recovered items on Ballam Road near the Fraser River thought to be linked to Planje’s home. “Investigators are asking the public to recall if they saw any out of the ordinary activity along Ballam Road on Dec.13 between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m.,” Carr said. Planje’s body was found Dec. 30 on a remote logging road about eight kilometres east of downtown Hope by a local resident. A tentative identification of the body was made by police at that time, but official confirmation awaited completion of Tuesday’s autopsy.
Valley property values on the rise Million-plus homes climb to 63. See story, page 5 Jennifer Feinberg The Progress Property assessments were on the rise in most parts of the Fraser Valley for 2011, with Chilliwack house values increasing by almost three per cent over last year. The Fraser Valley assessment roll went from $73 billion last year to $78 billion this year in the valley. “Most homes in the Fraser Valley are worth more on this year’s assessment roll than they were on the 2010 assessment roll,” said interim regional assessor Michael Lomax of BC Assessment, with increases ranging from about three to 10
per cent. Chilliwack’s assessments landed on the low end of that spectrum, he said, as increases tended to be higher the closer one got to the core of Vancouver. “The further east you go, the lower the increases were,” Lomax said. “Demand for real estate was just not that high.” A single-family home in Chilliwack went from $245,000 to $252,000, based on a sample property used by BC Assessment, which is a 2.8-per cent increase. Townhouses went from $227,000 to $238,000, which is a 4.8 per cent hike, while apartment values went from
$1.25
Harry Mertin
$151,000 to $153,000, marking a 1.3 per cent increase. A one-year freeze on assessments was put in place by the province in 2009 and 2008 values were used to calculate assessments that year. “But it was market value we saw with last year’s assessment roll and this one, so the difference you see this year is a market change, and nothing to do with legislated freeze,” said Lomax. The increases across the valley, which vary wildly and are dependent on multiple factors, are seen as positive in general, since last year’s assessments featured decreases and were an adjustment of sorts.
“That fact they went up is good for people, and it’s good to see assets appreciate,” he added. Local governments use the 2010 assessment roll data from B.C. Assessment as one of the factors in determining municipal tax rates. Chilliwack Mayor Sharon Gaetz agreed it’s “positive news” for home owners’ investments to see their residential property values go up. “Municipalities do of course factor out the effect of the overall increase or decrease in assessments when calculating property taxes,” she said. There isn’t a taxation “win” in the years they see increases, nor do they have “a budget crisis” in years with decreases. Continued: HOME/ p5
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rfreeman@theprogress.com
According to data from B.C. Assessment, townhouses have gone up in value by 4.8 per cent. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
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