In an effort to recover unpaid property taxes, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to auction 32 properties owned by defaulters on February 5. This move comes after repeated notices and warnings to property owners who have defaulted on their tax payments.
Persistent Notices and Warnings:
A senior PMC official stated that notices were sent to all property owners with outstanding tax payments, instructing them to clear their debts. Despite multiple warnings and notices, these defaulters have failed to pay their property taxes, leading to the decision to auction their properties.
Revenue Expectations:
The PMC aims to generate approximately Rs 200 crore from the auction. In case the auctioned properties fetch more than the outstanding tax amounts, the surplus funds will be returned to the property owners.
Legal Procedures:
Before initiating the auction, the PMC has formally added its name to the property cards and relevant documents. Some property owners have not paid taxes for up to a decade. The auction will be conducted in compliance with the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, which empowers local self-governing organizations to conduct tax recovery auctions. Necessary approvals from courts and other authorities have been secured before the auction process.
Property Tax Scenario:
PMC data reveals that around 12 lakh properties are liable for property tax payments. The scope of unpaid property taxes includes dues from various entities, such as businesses, IT parks, hospitals, industrial complexes, and property taxes related to mobile towers.
