Properties of delinquent taxpayers face auction

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Treasurer’s Office is planning to set for auction next month all tax delinquent real properties whose owners will refuse to settle their accounts immediately.

There are 353 tax delinquent real property units from which the city government has collectibles amounting to P209,842,739.83.

The respective owners of these real property units are advised to settle their dues immediately to prevent the city government from executing judicial or administrative action against them and their properties which is allowed under Section 256 of Republic Act 7160 known as the Local Government Code.

Setting the property for auction is a legal remedy to compel taxpayers to pay.

As part of due process, the CTO published the list of identified tax delinquent properties yesterday. It must be published once a week for two weeks and must be posted in conspicuous places.

Yesterday was the first day of publication and it will come out again in the paper on April 25.

Some properties included in the list may have already been paid for but not deleted from the list so the CTO is advising owners to notify the Tax Delinquency Section of the CTO by presenting the original official receipts.

The list includes prominent establishments and institutions operating in the city including various individual real property owners.

Entities that owe the city large sums of real property taxes include International Pharmaceuticals Inc., Ludo and Luym Corp., Metropolitan Cebu Water District, Realty Development Corp., Southwestern University, Sta. Lucia Realty and Development Inc., Union Bank of the Philippines and White Gold House, among others.

Publishing the list is allowed under Section 260 of the Local Government Code which says that “within 30 days after service of the warrant of levy, the local treasurer shall proceed to publicly advertise for sale or auction the property or a usable portion thereof as may be necessary to satisfy the tax delinquency and expenses of sale.”

Before the auction though, the CTO has to seek approval from the council to conduct an auction.

The treasurer’s office is doing all possible means to improve the tax collection of the city in the friendliest way.

Legal remedies are imposed against those who continuously refuse to settle their obligations.

The CTO estimates losing about P500 million in unearned income every year due to tax delinquency of real property owners. (FREEMAN NEWS)