Carrickalinga house to be sold and demolished under Yankalilla Council threat to recoup $26,000 rates debt

An unfinished beachfront house would be sold, then demolished, unless its owner pays a $26,000 rates debt to save the “eyesore”.

The beach house under construction on Gold Coast Drive, Carrickalinga. Picture: Supplied

• Carrickalinga owner admits it was a mistake to build house too high

An unfinished beachfront house would be sold with a demolition order unless the owner of the “eyesore” pays a $26,000 rates debt.

Yankalilla Council will this week decide whether to forcibly sell the Gold Coast Drive house and another three properties owned by Carrickalinga businessman Stephen Marks and his associated companies to recoup $44,236 in unpaid rates.

Under the Local Government Act a council can legally sell properties where rates debts exceed three years.

Any buyer of the Gold Coast Drive property, which residents have previously called an “eyesore”, would have to demolish the structure under proposed conditions of sale.

Stephen Marks attending a court hearing last July over the construction of his Carrickalinga property. Picture: Mike Burton/AAP

The council would also have a buyback option if the building was not demolished within a specified time after settlement.

“The largest outstanding amount has been subject to debt recovery legal proceeding which finalised in September 2018.

The judgement was in the council’s favour,” a report to council says.

“However, the judgment and associated court orders have not been complied with by the property owner.

“If any or all of the properties reach the point of sale they will be sold by auction and will only be sold if they receive a fair market price.”

The report said the last rates payment on all properties was on April 20, 2015.

“The property owners have been issued with three reminder notices and four rates notices every year for three years or longer,” the report says.

Mr Marks and the council have been in a protracted legal dispute over the construction of the Carrickalinga house when, in 2015, it was discovered he had built the three-storey house nearly a metre taller than the approved 7.99m height.

The Environment Resources and Development Court agreed to a compromise height of 8.375m, but Mr Marks failed to comply with the order inside the stipulated 120 days.

Mr Marks did not respond to calls for comment.

The District Court last year heard Mr Marks had credit card and tax-related debts of $339,000.