Three properties will need to be sold to recover $35,000 worth of unpaid rates owed to the West Tamar Council.
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Councillors will vote on the sale at October’s meeting.
The properties are located in Legana, Beauty Point and Beaconsfield.
Their owners have not paid rates for seven, nine and five years respectively.
Rates owing from the Beauty Point property make up almost half of the total, with the council looking to reclaim $12,652.59, according to the meeting agenda.
The Ernest Street property consists of “land, a PVC weatherboard house and outbuildings”, and is in the name of Ruby Jane Croft and Alfred John Green.
The council has been unable to contact the owners of the property, despite “[contacting] them regularly to come to some kind of arrangement in order for them to meet their obligation to pay their rates.”
According to the Local Government Act of 1993, the council has the right to sell any property if rates have been unpaid for more than three years.
The council’s general manager Rolph Vos said he could not comment on why it had taken nine years for the council to consider selling the Beauty Point property, or why it has now decided to address the issue.
“It is quite a long time [for rates to be unpaid], but circumstances vary from property to property and there would be a reason it has taken this amount of time,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to make specific comments on people’s circumstances.”
The Legana property owner owes the council $11,791.23.
The property’s original owner, named as Ms Smith, died in 2010.
The title was then transferred to Ms Smith’s daughter, who recently told the council they “would need to sell the property as there is no capacity [for her] to pay the outstanding rates and charges.”
Meanwhile, the Beaconsfield property owner has accrued $1429.99 in outstanding rate payments.
“All attempts to locate an interested person have been unsuccessful,” West Tamar Council manager corporate David Gregory said.
“Sale of the property is seen as the best alternative.”