PROPERTY owners in the city, who are in arrears on payment of rates and taxes, are being put on notice that they have until the end of December 2013 to put themselves in order, or City Hall will be forced to pursue legal avenues to ensure that defaulters pay up.One such means, Town Clerk Carol Sooba says is through ‘parate execution’, and this could be as early as the beginning of 2014.
The Town Clerk made this announcement yesterday as she addressed a special media briefing in Chambers, to discuss priority issues facing the Council.
Parate execution is a special procedure which will allow for the collecting institution, City Hall, to put up for sale, properties on which substantial sums of monies are owed, without taking the property owners to court.
Addressing the situation as regards defaulting tax payers, the Town Clerk said, “A good many property owners are responding to our call to pay up, but we are calling on those who have not paid.” She said there are payment plans which can be arranged, and urged property owners to take advantage of these before the deadline for payment.
The Town Clerk said while she is not happy to take such drastic measures against people, the Council has serious financial commitments, which on the other hand, must be honoured. Among these commitments are picking up and disposal of garbage; maintenance of the cemetery; and the renovation of the City Hall building which requires substantial monies, and which is fast deteriorating.
“We are pleading with you not to go down the road of delinquency, but come in and discuss with us and honour your obligations,” Sooba said.
City Hall is, at this time, preparing a list of major defaulting rate payers, which is soon to be released to the media.
Written By Shirley Thomas