The City of L’Assomption almost auctioned the municipal nursery of Montreal – located on its territory – because the city had been neglecting to pay its road bills for three years.
Updated yesterday at 5:47 p.m.
Montreal owed some $160,000 in unpaid bills to the northern crown municipality earlier this month. In addition to its nursery, it owns three other lots adjacent to it, still in L’Assomption.
In a notice published in the local newspaper last week, L’Assomption announced its intention to sell “at public auction” the Montreal nursery and the other land “for non-payment”. A few dozen other properties belonging to bad payers were going to be sold at the same time, at the beginning of November. This is the last resort a municipality has to make bad payers listen to reason.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
The L’Assomption nursery belonging to the City of Montreal
In the case of Montreal, “the treasury confirms us three years of delay”, indicated Thursday the town hall of this municipality.
These lands are not subject to property tax, but a city can still charge compensation for the municipal services used. It was this bill that Montreal failed to pay.
On Thursday, the City of L’Assomption and the City of Montreal indicated to The Press that the file had been “regularized” very recently.
“It was finally agreed that Montreal will pay the amounts of compensation for municipal services as billed by L’Assomption under its municipal regulations, all in accordance with section 205 of the Municipal Tax Act “, indicate the two cities in an identical statement that they sent by email. “The City of Montreal and the City of L’Assomption have regularized this file. »
The opposition underlines an “irony”
The official opposition did not want to miss an opportunity to mock the municipal administration, which itself insists on the importance for Montreal owners of paying their bills.
“It’s quite ironic to hear the mayor ask the Government of Quebec during the election campaign to do its fair share and compensate 100% of the municipal taxes of provincial buildings on Montreal territory and at the same time try to escape for the payment of tax compensation to the municipality of L’Assomption,” reacted Aref Salem, Leader of the Official Opposition at City Hall. “There is a lack of consistency in the Plante administration. »
The municipal nursery of Montreal at L’Assomption comprises 77 acres of land and is worth some 4.5 million. It was bought by Montreal in 2001 to cultivate the trees and shrubs that it then plants in the streets of the metropolis. The establishment is located on rang Bas-de-L’Assomption Nord, a rural area of the suburban municipality. The main building was completely redone about fifteen years ago.
The City of Montreal recently published the list of buildings in its territory that it intends to put up for auction to pay for itself. Hundreds of properties are listed. The sale is scheduled for November 7 at Bonsecours Market.