Joel DyckReal Broker SK Ltd.
Saskatoon · From the topic map

What is the Saskatoon tax lien sale and how does it work?

Saskatchewan handles unpaid property tax through the Tax Enforcement Act rather than a lien auction, and the City of Saskatoon follows that process for a property inside city limits. Unpaid taxes attach to the property itself, and after a multi-year period of non-payment the City can move to a tax sale.

The process starts with an interest charge on the overdue balance and a registration against the title through Information Services Corporation, which puts any future buyer or lender on notice that taxes are owing on the property, calculated against a taxable assessment that is 80 percent of the property's assessed value.

If the arrears stay unpaid long enough, the City of Saskatoon can eventually initiate a tax sale under the Tax Enforcement Act, in which the property is sold to recover the outstanding taxes, but this is a last step reached only after a lengthy period of non-payment and notice, not an immediate consequence of one missed bill.

If back taxes are part of why you are considering a sale, resolving them before you list is almost always cleaner than letting a buyer's lawyer find them during a title search. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.

Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.

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