A small townhouse community in Fergus, Ontario, is struggling with a property tax bill.
It's not uncommon to hear people complain about taxes, but it's probably a rare thing to hear someone say that taxes are too low.
But it's really low, and the resident said he received only $0.05 on his land tax bill.
"Really? Just five cents? Someone sent a five-cent bill?" Blake Kent recalled, recalling his reaction when he first saw the bill.
He is treasurer of the board of directors of the free-title townhouse building where he lives. A recent property tax bill was sent to the property manager to cover the cost of shared spaces such as sidewalks and plazas. The property manager did pay as well.
"They actually sent a check for five cents," Kent said. ”
The owner of this complex pays his own personal taxes, and he did not know about the tax payment in the common areas before.
"There's a provision in the Condominium Act that really allows for a fee for common elements," Kent said. ”
Given that the amount is so low, he feels that it is a waste of resources and hopes to eventually close the account as it is less than $1. With a background in finance, he said he often saw people doing it while he was working.
"It's ridiculous. The cost of paper, the cost of the envelope, and the $51 or other fees charged by Canada Post for first-class mail. ”
在给CTV新闻的一封电子邮件中，惠灵顿中心镇（Township of Centre Wellington）的一位发言人表示，市政财产评估公司(Municipal Property Assessment Corporation，MPAC)有责任确定财产估值。
"As a township, we are fully responsible for collecting property tax based on MPAC property assessment data and collecting property tax on all property within the township in a fair and equitable manner, regardless of its valuation. We have notified the MPAC of this valuation issue. ”
The spokesman also reiterated that property managers are responsible for paying the tax bills submitted.
The MPAC said that inquiries about property tax bills should be directed to the city that issued and collected the tax.
"Under the Condominium Act, the Municipal Property Appraisal Corporation (MPAC) must separately describe condominium plans by their file number as they are considered packages," the MPAC wrote in an emailed statement. In conjunction with the Assessment Act, notional valuation is applied to these property types (i.e. property used for private roads, parks, and other similar spaces) because the value of the property is already reflected in the valuation of the relevant freehold property. ”
Although the town said it had notified the MPAC, it was unclear whether the $0.05 biennial property tax would eventually be forgiven.
This means that this year Kent expects property management to pay a total of $0.10 in property taxes for public spaces.
He said it gave the term "nickel-and-diming" quite a literal meaning and hoped his complaint would spark some discussion.
"Hey, boss, should we issue a tax notice for five cents?"