Gympie Regional Council to sell 89 houses for unpaid rates

Ninety home owners across the Gympie region have been given three months to pay their large, outstanding rates bills or have their properties sold from underneath them.

Almost 90 ratepayers across the Gympie region are being given their final warning to pay their rates or have their properties sold out from under them.

Almost 90 ratepayers across the region are being given their final warning to pay their rates or have their properties sold out from under them.

Gympie Regional Council has agreed to issue 89 properties a notice of intent to sell as a result of overdue rates and charges.

The affected properties all have unpaid rates bills dating back at least three years.

CEO Shane Gray said the council’s sale plans did not mean anyone had yet lost their home.

“This process, in some cases, may allow ratepayers to apply for the early release of superannuation or a State Government mortgage relief loan,” Mr Gray said.

Gympie council CEO Shane Gray says the notice will allow some of the ratepayers to access superannuation or mortgage relief loans to help them pay their overdue bills.

“Both of these financial arrangements are not available until the ratepayer is in threat of losing their home, so these ratepayers have not yet been able to access this assistance.”

Any outstanding rates and charges must be paid within three months.

If they are not the council will put the property up for auction within six months.

The council started similar action in 2019, but was forced to stop by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The decision to sell was unanimously supported by councillors at the July 2021 general meeting following debate behind closed doors.

Privacy has been cited as the reason for the item being discussed in-committee.