The City of Prince George will seek provincial approval to write off $144,512.96 in unpaid property taxes after city council supported the action on Monday.
The outstanding taxes were owed on 51 mobile homes in the city, some of which have been in arrears since 2005, city director of finance Kris Dalio said. Dalio said the city had exhausted its measures to collect the outstanding money, of which 70 per cent was owed to the city and the remainder to the regional district, school tax, B.C. Assessment and Municipal Finance Authority.
"These properties are not subject to tax sale because they are classified as personal property," Dalio said. "We put a lien on a property (and) when sold we are the first to get paid... well the province is first, but we're first after that."
The other approach is to try to recover the money through the courts, but that is often "they will cost us more to collect than the recovery value," Dalio said.
"(But) we do use those measures to a great deal of success," he added.
The outstanding amounts range from $13.81 up to $16,438.18.
In 23 of the 51 cases the mobile home had been demolished or destroyed by fire, and a further 17 had been moved or were otherwise no longer on the site. Ten of the remaining units were listed in "de minimus" condition, meaning they were of little value. One had been since been sold.
The City of Prince George can't write off property taxes without approval of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Council approved a motion to request the ministry's approval to write off the taxes on Monday.
"Certainly it's not nice to write something off, but it seems necessary," Coun. Albert Koehler said.
