Barbadian properties on auction block
Tuesday July 19 2011 | 02:20 AM

A total of 39 properties, including businesses and vacant lots, are now on the auction block as the Land Tax Department takes action to recover tens of millions in arrears.

Notices of the sales were all signed by the Commissioner of Land Tax, Wayne Forde and dated July 4. The first sale is expected to come off on August 30, with land sales occurring throughout September right down to October 6 at locations across Barbados.

But one of the largest properties listed on the auction block has made a payment to the Land Tax Department. As a result Landmark Nurseries Investments Limited, contained on 189,050 square feet of land, will no longer be up for auction on September 15. This was confirmed today by an official when contacted, but who did not want to be quoted.

Other business names mentioned in the auction list included Braddies' Bar, Burnham Court Investment Limited, A A G Investment or Sandown Villas, Innco Holdings Inc., New Inn Holdings Inc, Dheerohit Inc., and Club Xzecutive, and property of Haymill Investment Limited.

However, efforts to reach Commissioner of Land Tax, Wayne Forde, over the last three days to see if other payments from those listed had been received, were unsuccessful. Forde was out of office on Wednesday, while Barbados TODAY left a message for him yesterday. However, another call was again made this morning and the person answering the phone said: "He is busy!" before hanging up the phone.

The lands on the auction block under the provisions of the Land Tax Act Cap 78A are from the parishes of St. George, Christ Church, St. Michael, St. Philip, St. James and St. Lucy. In addition, properties up for sale range in size from 1,150 square feet, to 5.232 acres.

The Land Tax Department is seeking to collect land tax arrears from private land and property owners and businesses, as Government continues its thrust to collect monies owed in taxes. This comes on the heels of a recent outcry from mainly hoteliers of a 50 per cent hike in their land tax assassments. However, Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler has stressed that there has been no increase in land tax. What has occurred, he stated, is that property evaluations were being conducted by the Land Tax Department, and this resulted in the values of some properties either being raised or lowered.

However, those who wish to file objections have up until next Friday to do so on four grounds. Those are that the valuations were either too high or too low, the person named in the notice was not the owner of the land, the land which was valued separately should be incorporated with other lands, or the land which was incorporated with other lands should be valued separately.