Olds council has written off the outstanding tax debt on an abandoned mobile home in the Olds Mobile Home Park.
Council made that decision during its May 13 meeting.
The outstanding taxes on the property are upwards of $21,000.
The home in question was abandoned several years ago and was determined to have zero value in its current state.
The town put up the home for auction in the council chambers twice -- last October and then in November -- by sealed bid ($5,000 reserve) but received no bids.
“The mobile park is willing to assume all costs associated with the disposal of it as long as we forgive the outstanding taxes and enter into an agreement to sell it to them for a dollar,” said Sheena Linderman, manager of finance for the Town of Olds.
Coun. Maryanne Overwater expressed concerns over forgiving the outstanding taxes and wondered if there was a way to recoup the loss if the person who owed the taxes returned and bought a new property.
“Do we have to just completely write it off or can we hold it if this person should come back,” asked Overwater.
Chief administrative officer Michael Merritt said that if the town were to hold off on the writeoff then the town would retain ownership.
“We would really see it as a benefit to have the park owners dispose of it. Then that would be a cost they would bear and not us,” Merritt said. “So there is a trade-off in regards to the action we’re requiring council to make a decision on.”
Linderman did mention that it was an option to send it to collections but in that case, the town would only receive a portion of what was owed.
