COVID-19 may have had a strange hand in reducing the number of residential and commercial properties that are in tax arrears with the city.

The administrative report presented to city council at its meeting Monday notes at the time of preparing the list, there were 33 titled properties in 2020 owing a total of $65,417.

“In comparison, the 2019 list included 65 properties with a total of $166,798.40 outstanding,” says the report. “It is expected that the reduction in the number of properties between prior year and current year is due to the extended tax deadline.”

In response to the pandemic, the Yukon government extended the property tax deadline last year from July 2 to Sept. 2.

The city is required by law to prepare and publish a list of properties that are in arrears.

The report notes each property owner was sent five letters between Sept. 29 and Feb. 11 notifying them of the arrears.

More letters will be sent out in April and May to strengthen the chances of collection.

The list will be updated continuously until the time of publishing to avoid having citizens on the list who have paid recently.

Individual arrears range from a high of $5,004 to a low of $111, according to the report.

“Each property on this list will be levied an administration fee and will be subject to further collection procedures if the account is not paid within 60 days,” the report points out.

“Those steps include initial application for title to the property after 12 months and final application for title to the Mediation Board after a further six months.

“If the taxes remain outstanding, the title to the property is transferred to the city and, assuming the city has no use for the property, it is disposed of at fair market value with any surplus returned to the previous owner.”