Kelowna plans to go ahead with its annual tax sale

Default tax sale a go

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The City of Kelowna's annual tax sale will go ahead as scheduled, albeit in a different location.

Council will be asked to change the venue from council chambers to the Kelowna Community Theatre.

The tax sale, set for Monday morning, Sept. 28, needs to move because chambers will be used for a Monday morning council meeting.

In order to change the venue, a council resolution is required.

Properties are placed on the auction block when owners have not paid their municipal taxes for the past three consecutive years.

Because of COVID-19, some municipalities have cancelled the sale this year and, while that was discussed, revenue supervisor Angie Schumacher said the city is going ahead.

"Every person is asked to pay a year of taxes every year, and that's basically what you do to get off the tax sale list," said Schumacher.

"Trying to look at the equitable and fair treatment of all taxpayers, everyone was asked to do the exact same thing, pay one year of taxes. We also, every year, really try to get everybody off the tax sale list."

Schumacher says last year, there were just six properties on the list when the sale began.

Property owners also have a year after the sale to bring their account current and reclaim the property.

All six sold last year did just that.

About 60 properties are on the list at this point.