Officials from MRC Pontiac will be holding their annual sale of land for the non-payment of municipal taxes at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Fort Coulonge (527 rue Baume) on Thursday, Sept. 11 starting at 10 a.m.
MRC administrative technician Jessica Soucie explained the municipalities send in their list of non-payments and a preliminary list is published in local papers in July. However, the property owners who pay up before the auction can have their properties taken off.
“We have the list on our website that is updated every Friday, so as soon as a property is paid for we remove it off the list,” she said. “As of [Sept. 3], we have 32 properties that are still up for sale.”
She added that it’s hard to say how many will actually be available for this year’s auction, as many folks get their payments in just before the deadline.
On the day of the auction, the properties that remain will be bid on by the attendees. Personal cheques are not accepted, and cash is only accepted for purchases of up to $7,499. Soucie suggested that would-be participants bring a bank draft made out to “MRC Pontiac” with their maximum budgeted bid. Participants must also have two pieces of identification (at least one with a photo).
“Some people don’t understand, because it’s a bidding war, so they say, ‘How are we supposed to bring in a bank draft if we don’t know the exact amount?’” she said. “We tell them to set themselves a budget [ . . . ] So let’s say $30,000. If you end up paying $10,000 for a property, well your $20,000 that is left is still available for you to bid on other properties. If not we cash the bank draft and write a cheque for the balance. They can come pick it up here or we can send it in the mail.”
Soucie said that it’s important that participants understand that winning a bid at the auction doesn’t guarantee the property will be theirs, however. The owner still has 364 days to pay up and reclaim their assets. Only after this waiting period has passed may the winning bidder make the transfer official with a notary, at their own expense.
“So the previous owners are allowed to buy back their properties within a year less a day of the sale [Sept. 10, 2026],” she explained. “Whoever bid on it, they get reimbursed.”
Soucie emphasized that it is the bidder’s responsibility to do their homework and inspect the property’s condition, zoning, and any other pertinent details.
“If they decide to bid on a property they have to put in their work, their research,” she said. “We don’t have that information for them.”
It should also be noted that Quebec has stringent rules barring those who reside outside the province from acquiring agricultural land.
Registration forms and more information about the auction procedures are available on the MRC’s website.
