Still time to become a property owner

Municipal tax sale continues with land starting at $600

SYDNEY — If you're interested in becoming a property owner in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality for as little as $600, there's still time.

Adam MacNeil, manager of finance for the CBRM, said they have extended the closing date of tenders on 69 properties to March 16 that never previously sold after being on the block three times.

The extension was to err on the safe side to ensure anyone interested had enough time to submit a bid in accordance with the Municipal Government Act, he said.

The tenders opened Feb. 2. This is not an online auction where people would go online and bid on properties but rather the information in question is posted in an online form.

Closed tender bids have to be made in person at city hall.

MacNeil said, meanwhile, interest has been high.

The Cape Breton Post highlighted the properties up for tender in a story published on Feb. 8.

MacNeil said they ended up with a lot of inquiries.

"People have called, it's been quite busy,” he said. "We have quite a few tenders on hand now but I expect when we get close to our deadline we'll get a pile more.”

Whereas in a regular property tax sale the winning bidder has to pay taxes owing, which can run in the thousands, a tender sale on these properties that never sell during a tax sale, have a starting bid at $600 or oneyear's taxes, whichever is the greater.

There are one or two listings in areas including Sydney, New Waterford, Louisbourg, Dominion, South Head, Port Caledonia, Belfry Lake and some on the Northside but the vast majority of these properties are in Glace Bay.

All the tender lots purchased are lien, debt and mortgage free.

The tenders can be accessed at https://procurement.novascotia.ca/ ns-tenders.aspx and enter tender ID# CBRM_T68-2020

The municipality cancelled the January regular property tax sale auction until the spring and plans at that time to change the format to tenders online as well, where again closed tender bids would also have to be made in person at city hall.

SHARON MONTGOMERY-DUPE/CAPE BRETON POST A portion of this lot at the corner of Mackie’s Lane in Gardiner Mines is part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s property tax tender sale. There are currently 69 properties up for tender, all at a starting bid of $600.

CONTRIBUTED A map showing locations of 69 properties in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality that never sold during three property tax sales, now up for tender. The original tender closing date has been extended to March 16.