Éric Duhaime received at least 14 notices of non-payment of municipal taxes for his properties in Quebec, and was dragged into court and subject to a seizure by bailiff for unpaid school taxes.
• Read also: Duhaime insinuates that information on his taxes may have been “leaked” by the City of Quebec
• Read also: PCQ leader’s unpaid taxes: Experts surprised by Duhaime’s approach
• Read also: Unpaid taxes: “I am accountable”, says Duhaime
The leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec has had several financial disputes with municipal and school authorities since 2018.
Last week, The newspaper revealed that Éric Duhaime was threatened with having two buildings seized for non-payment of municipal taxes to the City of Quebec, with overdue accounts totaling more than $14,000.
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Le Journal reported last Saturday that the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec, Éric Duhaime, had a debt of $14,000 with the City of Quebec for non-payment of municipal taxes on two properties in Quebec. After Le Journal told him the news, he said he went to pay his overdue accounts.
He first pleaded Ignorance
Mr. Duhaime had initially pleaded ignorance. However, the City sends a multitude of notices in the event of non-payment.
Without commenting on the particular case of the politician, the City of Quebec confirms that it uses an identical procedure for each citizen who fails to pay his municipal taxes.
Thus, explains spokesperson David O’Brien, owners who are in the process of selling for non-payment of taxes receive up to four statements of account per year.
“As soon as a payment was overdue with an overdue balance, the City sent an account statement,” directly to the owner.
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It is therefore logical to deduce that for these two years, eight notices in all were sent.
Then, in 2022, the City proceeded to send three notices, the last of which is sent by registered mail, still to the owner, and “requires a signature from the recipient”, specifies Mr. O’Brien.
The second property definitely received all three reviews of 2022. Bringing the total to at least 14 reviews.
He says he has settled his accounts
Mr. Duhaime indicated last week that his outstanding accounts had been settled. It was impossible to confirm this information with the City of Quebec.
Passing through Varennes at the end of the afternoon for the recording of a television program, the conservative leader paraded in front of the journalists who follow his caravan, categorically refusing to answer their questions.
Mandated bailiff
The leader of the PCQ was also dragged into court for outstanding school tax bills, which a bailiff was mandated to recover.
Court documents released by The Press and which The newspaper obtained a copy reveal that Mr. Duhaime was also in default of payment for his school taxes at the Center de services scolaire (CSS) de la Capitale, between October 2018 and January 2021. He had thus accumulated a statement of account of 2411.76 $.
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Éric Duhaime also owes $2,411 in school taxes, as evidenced by this court document.
The CSS went to court to recover the sums due. In June 2021, he obtained a judgment ordering Mr. Duhaime to pay $2,411.76. He also obtained a notice of execution to be carried out by a bailiff, in July 2021.
Called to react to this new development, Éric Duhaime’s spokesperson, Cédric Lapointe, indicated that “Mr. Duhaime paid his taxes late, as well as the associated interest and penalties. He is accountable and assumes full responsibility. »
13 tickets in one year
Éric Duhaime also had trouble with municipal justice a few years ago.
For the year of 2018 alone, his record shows no less than 13 offenses on the territory of Quebec, including 11 to municipal parking regulations and two minor violations of the Highway Safety Code, which earned him fines totaling 600 $.
According to public records, Mr. Duhaime paid the sums due for all of these offenses, even if certain files sometimes went before a judge, in his absence.
In addition, Mr. Duhaime implied Monday morning that the information about his municipal taxes which had not been paid for two years may have been “leaked” in the media by the City.
However, this is information that was public and easily accessible on the Municipality’s website.
AND ALSO HIS HYDRO-QUÉBEC BILL
In 2012, Éric Duhaime told the radio that Hydro-Québec had disconnected him for non-payment of his bill.
“Look, I have my responsibilities, I should have paid. It’s been a year and a half since I paid my Hydro account, ”he said on the airwaves of the defunct Radio X Montreal station.
At the time, Duhaime blamed the state corporation. “They could have told me. They could have come to see that after a year and a half, if they sent something in a box that didn’t work, that maybe they should have sent me a letter by post,” said -he adds.
NOTICES SENT TO OWNERS FOR ANY NON-PAYMENT
Notices sent by the City of Quebec: up to 4 reviews per year, as soon as an installment is overdue with an overdue balance
For all bill who remains unpaid, in 2022:
- the 21st of February : collection notice
- May 30: final collection notice
- August 26: notice of sale for non-payment of taxes by registered mail
- September 26: notice of sale by registered mail
Notices sent by the Center de services scolaire de la Capitale
- 1 invoice also serving as a reminder of amounts due and 2 other reminders per year
- In most cases, if no payment is received after 3 invoices and 4 reminders, sending registered mail
– With the collaboration of Dominique Lelièvre and Gabriel Côté and Philippe Langlois, QMI Agency