Redland City Council will hold an auction in March to sell properties with overdue rates of three years or more to recoup almost $280,000 in unpaid rates.

Redland City Council Chief Executive Officer Bill Lyon said the auction followed extensive efforts to get the property owners to pay their rates and was a practice followed by councils across the state.

“These property owners haven’t paid rates on these properties for many years, so our only option is to auction the properties to recoup the unpaid rates, which is a routine practice done by many councils in Queensland, including in past years in Redland City,” Mr Lyon said.

“Rates are used to upgrade local roads, build new parks and provide other important infrastructure and the majority of residents do the right thing by paying their rates so we can provide these services.

“There are some residents however who don’t pay their rates despite years of proactive attempts from Council to help them achieve this and those who do the right thing should not have to make up that shortfall.

“At the moment there is more than $5.3 million in unpaid rates owed in the Redlands, some from years ago; this is money that could be spent in local neighbourhoods and so Council will auction these properties to try and recoup these funds.”

The public auction will take place from 10am Thursday 9 March 2017 (bidder registration from 9am) at Capalaba Place, 14 Noeleen Street, Capalaba unless the rates, charges and interest plus all expenses incurred for the sale are paid in full before the auction commences.

Proceeds from the auction will firstly go toward any outstanding rates, charges, or encumbrances on the land.

All remaining proceeds are then paid to the person who owned the land immediately before the sale in line with section 146 of the Local Government Regulation 2012.

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