Stettler’s town council has set Nov. 22, 2022, as a public auction date for two properties in tax arrears within the community.
Making the decision during the Aug. 2 council meeting, assistance chief administrative officer (ACAO) Steve Gerlitz presented the request for council decision which outlined all the steps the town needs to take in order for the tax sale to legally proceed.
The steps for how municipalities proceed in the cases of taxes that are owed is set out in sections 418 and 419 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), the primary legislation which guides the conduct of municipalities and their councils.
Under the MGA councils must set reserve bids on properties that is as close to market value as reasonable, must advertise the the impending tax-auction well before hand in both the Alberta Gazette and local media, and send copies of the advertisement to the registered owners of the properties.
Using the 2022 assessment values as the reserve bids, a property on 39 Avenue will have a reserve bid set for just under $235,600. Another property on 50 Avenue will have a reserve bid of just under $221,800 set.
The town will advertise the sales in the Alberta Gazette at the end of September and in local media at the beginning of November.
Once started, the tax-recovery process can be stopped right up until the sale time by the owners of the properties paying, in full, their back taxes.
If the properties do not sell at auction, the town can apply for ownership of them. As long as the properties remain the property of the town, the original owner can regain ownership if the back-owed taxes are paid in full.
The public auctions will take place at 1 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2022, at the Town of Stettler office.