Tax Sales

A tax sale happens when the Township of Springwater sells a property for unpaid taxes, in accordance with the Ontario Municipal Act. We do not have any properties currently available for tax sale. We advertise tax sales in the Ontario Gazette, a local newspaper, and Tri-Target.

Purchasing a tax sale property

To bid on a tax sale property, complete the following steps:

• Determine your bid amount, which must be at least equal to the advertised minimum tender amount
  • The advertised minimum tender amount includes all outstanding taxes and associated costs
• Complete a Tax Sale Form 7 Tender to Purchase provided by the municipal office
• Submit a certified cheque of at least 20% of your bid amount
• Insert your completed Form 7 and bid deposit in a sealed envelope labelled with the required information
• Submit your tender in person at, or by courier or mail to, 2231 Nursery Road, Minesing, Ontario, L9X 1A8 before the tax sale closing date and time

All tax sale properties are sold as is, without warranty.

Tax sale process

The tax sale process begins when a property has outstanding taxes of two or more years, and the owner does not contact the Township of Springwater to make payment arrangements by the deadline included in the Tax Sale Pending letter.

Property owners receive Farm Debt Notices and Bankruptcy Notices with 30 days to contact the Township for payment options. If the owner does not contact the Township by the end of those 30 days, a Tax Arrears Certificate is registered at the land registry office.

Once a Tax Arrears Certificate is registered, the Township mails First Notices of the Tax Arrears Certificate to:

• Property owner(s)
• A mortgage holder
• Anyone with a registered court judgement against the tax payer

The First Notice provides the Tax Arrears Certificate registration date and deadline to pay the cancellation price. The deadline is a one-year period from the date of registration. If the cancellation price is unpaid before the expiry of the redemption period, the Township can sell the property through public auction or by public tender.

More information

For more information on tax sales, please visit Tri-Target or contact our Deputy Treasurer.