Revealed: Gympie properties at risk of being sold by the council

Gympie Regional Council has put nine property owners on notice it intends to sell their blocks unless they pay years’ worth of overdue rates bills. See the full list:

Scott Kovacevic

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September 6, 2022 - 8:23AM

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Nine Gympie ratepayers are at risk of having their properties sold out from under them after Gympie Regional councillors gave the go ahead for staff to begin efforts to recover years of unpaid rates.

The councillors voted unanimously at an August meeting to begin the process of selling the homes.

A council spokesman said starting the sales process opened up opportunities for the landowner to access funds not otherwise available to them.

“This may allow some ratepayers to apply for early release of superannuation or the State Government mortgage relief loan to pay their balance in full,” the spokesman said.

“Both of these forms of assistance 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.”

Rates bills have to be outstanding for at least three years.

Landowners are given three months’ notice of the council’s intent to sell, and the properties are to be sold within six months.

The spokesman said the council was making every effort to allow the landowners to pay their outstanding bills, and encouraged people experiencing financial difficulties to contact them to discuss the available options.

In August 2021, the council notified 89 landowners it was going to sell their properties due to unpaid rates.

However in February 2022, only five of these properties ultimately went under the hammer.

These are the properties at risk: