Property Tax Issues

When you are behind on your property taxes, you are at risk of losing your home. We can help you with options to prevent the city or bank from repossession.

Property Tax Issues

One of the primary expenses of owning your home is property taxes. Some mortgage lenders collect them with mortgage payments while others allow the homeowner to pay them on their own.

In short, property taxes are calculated based on the assessed value of a property relative to the municipal average. These funds are used for public services such as fire protection, garbage pickup, law enforcement, road maintenance, and other general government services. As such, it is mandatory by law for owners to pay property taxes for any piece of property.

Unpaid Property Taxes

What happens if they go unpaid? How can that affect one’s standing with a mortgage lender or with the city? And, if you are behind in your property taxes, what options do you have?

When property taxes go unpaid, it triggers a response fro the city to take measures to collect them. It may start as a gentle reminder to pay but, over time, it can escalate to the point of the city initiating legal action. This can result in a Power of Sale as the city has the power to force the sale of a property to recoup unpaid property taxes.

If there is a mortgage on the property, one of the basic requirements is to keep the property taxes up to date. Failing to do so is a breach of contract.

Lenders take a breach of a contract very seriously because, if the city were to enforce a Power of Sale, the city has the right to move into the first position (ahead of the mortgage lender) to receive funds from the sale and settle the outstanding taxes.

Lenders will obviously not want to risk this, which means the will often be the ones to initiate legal action and force the sale of the home to pay the property taxes owed.

The Graeme Moss Solution

If you’re in this situation, act immediately. The longer you wait, the more interest is charged from the city and the higher the risk of either your mortgage lender or the city themselves starting legal action against you.

Property tax arrears can quickly snowball out of control if left unpaid, but being proactive to deal with this situation will result in getting things back on track. We have the knowledge and experience to help clients sort our property tax arrears.

Contact us today for a free, confidential review of your situation. We are here to help.

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People we’ve helped.

  • I first met Graeme over the phone when we were living in Hamilton and finding it difficult to make our payments. He was so helpful and we knew he genuinely wanted for us to be successful. Ever since, we have gone to him when purchasing a new home or refinancing because we trust him and we know he cares. He always goes above and beyond to help us when we need it. We went from struggling to make payments to living in our dream home in a few short years.  I truly believe that it is because of his knowledge and passion for helping people build their futures that we are where we are today. Thank you, Graeme!!

    M. V. Hamilton, ON

  • Thank you Graeme, for everything you did to help us with our mortgage, for your patience with my questions and professionalism. We truly appreciate yours and Deborah’s efforts on our behalf.  We’ll be sure to recommend you to anyone we know who needs help like we did. Thanks so much for everything.

    J. M. Hamilton ON

  • Graeme Moss has provided stellar customer service and was a key player in ensuring due diligence. It was both a pleasure & very professional dealing with Graeme when I turned to Fair Mortgage Solutions seeking an interim solution.  He, once again was very accurate in advising me, he is not a lawyer. What prompted me to negotiate the legal fees was associated to why this crucial “matter” between legal departments was not finalized in 2017.  Moving forward, Graeme’s diligence directed me immediately to the right department. Your department honoured negotiating and we established completion of the task at hand, the Discharge of the MTG. Thank you!

    K. W. Burlington, ON

  • We refer clients to Graeme who are either having serious financial issues, or are recovering from a bankruptcy or proposal filing. They are challenging situations. I can count on Graeme to treat people with compassion and respect. I trust that if there is a mortgage solution to be found, Graeme will make it happen. He truly cares about people and helps them to succeed.

    Christine Zuk President, Vine and Williams Inc.

  • You and your team are awesome. You truly care and you saved my life. Thank you.

    A.W

  • This is great. We were so worried. Hearing how others helped who were in a similar situation. This is a godsend. We appreciate the roadmap. Glad it is within 3 days. The advice free, can’t go wrong.

    H.H Mississauga

  • My wife and I were stunned at the speed you got this done. The fee was very low. We are thrilled. Thank you for your help!

    D.H. St. Catharines

  • You guys are friggin awesome! We feel so happy. Thank you so much.

    S.R. Oshawa

  • You have been a godsend. An absolute godsend. I can finally sleep at night. My children thank you. We have 6 options instead of being forced what to do.

    L.E. Mississauga

  • I'm a first time home buyer and had a very positive experience working with Graeme Moss, he gave good advice and made the process very easy.

    G.F.