Overdue rural property taxes

If you don't pay your property taxes by the due date, your account will become overdue. You’ll receive a Statement of Account each month showing the overdue amounts you owe.

Unpaid property taxes become delinquent after December 31 of the current tax year and collection action will begin.

Collection action may include:

  • Notifying the Canada Revenue Agency to set aside money owing to you
  • Registering a lien against your property or personal belongings
  • Requiring your employer to deduct money from your paycheque
  • Issuing a demand notice to your bank, credit union or trust company to pay money from your account(s)
  • Seizing your personal belongings
  • Forfeiture of your property to the Province of British Columbia

Over the following two years, the province will take steps to collect any unpaid balances, including transferring ownership of your property to the Province of British Columbia.

 2nd Year 

January 1
  • Collection actions begin
  • You will be charged a per annum interest rate of prime plus 3% monthly on your unpaid balance
May 31
  • Your current tax year Rural Property Tax Notice is mailed out
October 1
  • A Notice of Forfeiture is mailed out to advise you that your property will forfeit next year if your unpaid balance is not paid in full
December 1
  • A $78.75 (includes GST) forfeiture fee is applied to your unpaid account balance

3rd Year

May 31
  • Your current tax year Rural Property Tax Notice is mailed out
October 1
  • A Final Notice of Forfeiture is mailed out to advise you and all interested parties that your property will forfeit if your unpaid balance is not paid in full
November 30
  • Deadline to pay your unpaid balance in full
December 1
  • Forfeiture occurs, transferring the ownership of the property to the Province of British Columbia

 Forfeiture

If any balance remains outstanding on December 1 of the 3rd year, your property will forfeit to the Province of British Columbia. When a property is forfeited, ownership of the property is transferred to the province and a Certificate of Forfeiture is registered at the Land Title Office.

The following image shows the forfeiture cycle. Click the image to download the full size as a printable PDF (109 KB).

Diagram of the B.C. property tax forfeiture cycle

Redemption

The redemption period is for one year from the date the property forfeited to the province. To restore ownership of the property, you need to pay:

  • Your unpaid balance in full, including a fee of $262.50 (includes GST)
  • If applicable, all the maintenance, insurance or security costs the province has paid since forfeiture

If your outstanding balance isn’t paid by the end of the redemption period, monthly interest will continue to be added and you will move into the revestment period.

Revestment

The revestment period is for two years after the end of the redemption period. To restore ownership of the property, you need to pay:

  • Your unpaid balance in full, including a fee of $525 (includes GST)
  • If applicable, all the maintenance, insurance or security costs the province has paid since forfeiture

If your outstanding balance isn’t paid by the end of the revestment period, the forfeiture becomes final and the ownership of the property can’t be regained.