There were 25 people on hand to bid on a series of 65 properties that the district was disposing of at its annual tax sale.
That’s the most properties ever up for a tax sale, beating out the 59 properties up for sale in 2015 when all the units at 360 Northgate (the Wilderness Lodge). In that case all the units were put up for tax sale, but a week before the people who bid on the properties were to take ownership, the owner came in and paid the taxes.
This year, the lion’s share of the properties are part of a proposed development between Tumbler Ridge and the Heavy Industrial park.
This area has been slated for development for at least a decade, but nothing has come of it.
And, with the current owners not having paid their taxes for at least three years, 55 properties in the area were put up for sale, ranging from plots just under an acre in size, with an upset price of under $400 (the upset price is the minimum bid needed on the property), to a single property 43.49 acres (17.5 ha) in size.
This latter was one of the most contended properties, with a value of over $40,000 and an upset price of $1450.62, it finally sold for $9000.
That wasn’t the largest value property on the block, though. That honour went to the former Twilight Lodge, which had a tax bill and upset price of $58,742.67.
That property—valued at $615,300, according to BC Assessment, saw one single bid.
The majority of the undeveloped lots sold for between $356.89 (the upset price) to $1500, many being purchased by JB Bassett Contracting out of Dawson Creek, who are hoping to develop the properties in the future.
Other people who picked up properties in the area aren’t sure what they will do with the land; they just know a good deal when they see it.
Speaking of deals, there were six apartments up for tax sale, four of which were in 216 Spieker.
These also proved to be among the most sought after properties, going at nearly five time the upset price.
But, with the apartment building planning on being rebuilt in the next few years, that means that a handful of cunning residents managed to procure brand new apartments for a fraction of the cost, the highest one going for $21,000.
Current owners have a year to pay their taxes. Successful bidders will not take possession of the properties until then.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
