Sudbury owed millions in unpaid property taxes

The city of Great Sudbury is owed millions of dollars in unpaid property taxes, according to a list obtained by CBC News.

Some of the unpaid taxes date back as far as the 1990s. The list, acquired by CBC News through the freedom of information act, includes businesses, apartment buildings and vacant lots.

Unpaid taxes on some industrial land on Fielding Road in Lively date back to 1997 and amount to nearly $3 million.

An old truck stop not far from there also owes as much as $266,000.

Great Sudbury taxation manager Tony Derro said that there is usually $6-7 million in back taxes owed to the city, whichis a lot less than some other cities across the province.

Despite the fact that many of these bills have not been paid for years, Derro added that people should be aware taxes are not optional and they will be forced to pay.

Ive never seen an account yet that was never collected, he said. People dont get away with it if we can help it.

The city can get its money back by selling the property through a tax sale.