Port Hope - Postponed at the last possible minute

[HappyPants]

There was supposed to be a tax sale today at 3pm in Port Hope - but at 12pm they announced that it would be postponed:

At 12:00 pm., the tax sale proceeding related to the property known as 15 Hope Street N, Port Hope has been postponed in accordance with the Municipal Act, 2001, Ontario Regulation 181/03, Municipal Tax Sales Rules, Section 22(1) as amended and any other applicable law until Tuesday June 10, 2014 at 3:00 pm. to enable the now thought to be authorized property representative of the estate to address this property tax matter.

I don't think they are allowed to do this - am I wrong?  I checked the Municipal Act and Regulations and it says in Section 22(1) that they can postpone the tax sale if "the treasurer is of the opinion that completing the sale would be impractical or would be unfair to the bidders or tenderers,"

In other words there are 2 allowable reasons to postpone: (1) impractical; or (2) unfair to bidders or tenderers.

But they are saying that they are cancelling this out of consideration for "the now thought to be authorized property representative of the estate".  That sounds nice and sweet but this person is not a "bidder or tenderer".

I am new to the tax sale game but this I find very frustrating.  Can someone tell me if this is normal and legal?  And if not what recourse do we have if any?

[Dave2]

There was supposed to be a tax sale today at 3pm in Port Hope - but at 12pm they announced that it would be postponed:

Happypants:

One other comment.  This is not the worst possible cancellation I have seen.  Wait until you run up against a ( I felt they were ----) property owner who decides to strike back at tax sale buyers and redeems 5 minutes prior to the bid opening    

Needless to say it was not a happy bunch of possible tax sale buyers; myself included.

[StereoT]

Dave2,

How did you know about the water and mold? I swung by the place and it didn't seem apparent to me... Am I missing something?

ST

[HappyPants]

Dave2,

Thanks for your comments. I too am curious how you got wind of mold/water issues, and the issue having to do with a door -- how did I miss all that? 

As for properties being redeemed at the last minute, even as a Newbie I feel your pain -- having once won a tax sale, and submitted the final balance, only to have the city in that  case tell me that they decided to let the owner redeem.    Live and learn eh! 

HappyPants

[jt]

Speaking of last minute redemptions, I just got off the phone with the town of Caledon and it looks like 27 Sunkist Valley has been redeemed.  Still doesn't show up on the website yet.