79 Fraser Road tax bill half the amount of neighbours’ 

Controversial luxury home valued at $0 by tax dept 

 

Laurent Robillard-Cardinal

The building located at 79 Fraser Road is presently valued at $0. Gatineau’s 2015 public property assessment of the controversial address only takes into account the lot’s value and not the home’s value.

The property assessment is the basic tool used to calculate the amount of municipal and school taxes. It aims to ensure the financial contribution of Gatineau taxpayers is divided fairly and equitably based on the cost of services provided.

 

When asked why the building’s value indicates $0, a city spokesperson said that “a building is entered on the evaluation roll when it is substantially completed. The lot’s value is always included in the property assessment.” However, according to the provincial Act respecting municipal taxation, generally, a building must be entered on the roll if it is substantially occupied or if two years have elapsed from the beginning of the work. 

“The city has until the end of 2015 to add buildings completed in 2014 to the property assessment roll. In short, the Act [respecting municipal taxation] allows action retroactively for the current fiscal year and, in addition, to act on the previous year. This enables the evaluation service to inspect buildings and evaluate them within a reasonable time,” indicated a city spokesperson. “After completing the assessment process, the city issues a tax bill that is effective retroactively to the date of the new construction. Therefore, there is no loss of revenue for the city.”

According to the Act, the assessor shall alter the property assessment roll to indicate an increase in the value of a unit of assessment if it is substantially completed or substantially occupied. According to an anonymous resident, the owner has moved in and the city has collected garbage and recycling. City records show the 2015 annual tax bill for 79 Fraser is $3,657.41. In comparison, the 2015 annual tax bill for 81 Fraser Road is $8,560.34 and $7,847.97 for 77 Fraser Road.