Four properties up for tax sale

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Published on Tuesday, October 25, 2016

By Kate Jackman-Atkinson

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

This year’s tax sale for the Town of Neepawa will see four properties change hands, unless their owners come up with the necessary cash. Over the last couple of weeks, the Town has advertised the four properties which are being sold due to unpaid taxes from the 2014 year.

The properties will be sold by public auction on Nov. 3, at the Neepawa Council chambers. The reserve bids established by the Town include all outstanding taxes and fees up until present.

Located at 244 Hamilton St, roll number 121,300 is up for tax sale with $23,195.50 owing in arrears and costs.  This property is currently owned Naseer Chaudhry. Chaudhry was the second mortgage holder on the property and he foreclosed on the property earlier this year.

The property was put up for mortgage auction on March 7 and when no buyers came forward,  Chaudhry proceeded with the foreclosure and his plans to redevelop the property.

The two-story building had been badly damaged when the boiler broke and flooded the main floor, necessitating a complete renovation and restoration, which began earlier this year. On July 12, Neepawa council approved a variation allowing for one commercial space on the main floor and four bachelor suites on the second floor. Work on this property is ongoing.

Located at 366 Mountain Ave., the lot that was the site of the former Home Hardware store is also up for tax sale. This property, roll number 124,2200, is owned by Guilbert Enterprises. The outstanding arrears and costs are $29,949.43.

The property is being sold as a bare lot. In February 2015, the store, which also had four apartments on the second floor, was destroyed by fire. 

Small houses to be sold

Two of the properties are residential lots from which houses were removed due to their non-compliance with the Town’s zoning requirements. Located at the corner of Fifth Ave. and Brydon St, and the other on James Bay, both properties were developed by Winnipeg-based FCP Smart Builders. 

The first of the two is roll number 36,000. Located at 311 5th St., and owned by Winnipeg-based Zenke Investments. The property has $13,074.71 in outstanding arrears and costs.  The other property is roll number 175,360, located at 10 James Bay, and is owned by Rommel Curry Eustaquio, of Winnipeg. It has outstanding arrears and costs of $15,469.79.  

In 2011, building permits were issued and new modular homes were moved on to the lots, however, they fell under the Town’s mobile home bylaw and the 880 sq ft homes didn’t meet the zoning requirement of 1,000 sq ft. The company requested a variation for both properties, but the motions for both properties were defeated by Neepawa Town Council. FCP has sued the Town of Neepawa and the Neepawa and Area Planning District.

This summer, council authorized the removal of the homes from their lots and on June 22 and June 23, the homes were taken to the Town’s Public Works yard. The owners had 60 days to pick them up.  The homes themselves are to be sold at auction on Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. That sale will take place at the Town of Neepawa public works yard, at 124 Gill Drive.

All properties remain for sale

As of the publication deadline, all four properties remained for sale at tax auction.  Property owners who don’t wish to see the property sold must pay only the outstanding taxes and fees from 2014.  They can pay this right up until the start of the auction, however, leaving it to that point would result in the owner having to pay additional expenses related to the cancelled sale, such as paying an auctioneer.

If the properties aren’t purchased, they become the property of the Town of Neepawa.  Any caveats related to easements remain with the property, however, those claims pertaining mortgages, debts or builders liens will be paid only if the property brings more than the reserve.  Once the sale takes place, the financial caveats are removed from the title.