OLDS — Town council has changed the conditions for a public tax recovery auction due to the town’s dissatisfaction with construction, maintenance or repair of a service connection to one of the properties up for bid.
Town officials also warn those who might want to buy the property that it will take action to make sure that the problem is not only rectified, but done to its satisfaction.
The sale is slated to occur March 28 at 2 p.m. in town council chambers.
The purpose of the auction is to recover taxes and penalties accrued for non-payment of taxes.
Changes to sale conditions reflecting the towns’ concern and warning were passed by town council during its Feb. 13 meeting. The sale and previous conditions for it were approved during a council meeting in January.
“The issue that we want to make potential buyers aware (of is) that there are significant infrastructure issues within this property,” Williams said.
"Any potential buyer has to understand that the town has an enforcement order in place and has gone to court and that we expect repairs to be made according to that process.
“Essentially, the buyer beware, but the buyer hopefully is informed.”
According to the motion passed, the change says that “due to the Town of Olds’ lack of satisfaction with the construction, maintenance, or repair of a service connection of a municipal public utility located above or underneath the parcel of land, the Town of Olds intends to pursue remedies, including but not necessarily limited to those found at sections 37 and 39 of the Municipal Government Act, to have the construction, maintenance or repair of the service connection brought to standards satisfactory to the Town of Olds.”
It adds that the remedies to be pursued by the town include having the costs of completing the required work paid for by the registered owner of the land in accordance with the Municipal Government Act.
