Peachland owns a castle

Photo: Google Street View

The infamous Haymour Castle has a new owner – the District of Peachland.

The municipality took ownership of the property by default after no one showed interest in purchasing the property in a tax sale last month.

The property was put on the block for $15,792.08, the amount of municipal taxes owed by the current owner. Municipal taxes have not been paid since 2015.

When taxes on any property are delinquent for three consecutive years, the municipality puts the property up for sale to recoup the back taxes.

However, chances of the municipality making a profit off the property are slim.

Peachland finance director Doug Pryde says the current owner, or a mortgage company that may have a stake in the property, have a year to make good on the taxes and any additional fees and penalties incurred.

Pryde says in his experience, only one property sold at tax sale has remained with the purchaser.

The former Haymour Castle was assessed last year at $790,000.

Haymour came to notoriety in the 1970s when he purchased Rattlesnake Island in hopes of building a Middle Eastern-themed amusement park, complete with a giant camel ice-cream parlour, a large pyramid, submarine rides, mini golf and pony rides.

Haymour battled the province for 15 years after it halted his plan, during which time he was sent to a mental institution for a year and, upon his release, held the Canadian embassy in Beirut hostage for several hours. He eventually won a lawsuit against the province and, with the $100,000 he received from the suit, built the castle in the late '80s. He has since sold the property and moved to Edmonton.

A Vancouver-based production company has produced a documentary about Haymour which will premier soon.