The properties, eight of them in rural areas, have accrued $84,679 in general rates.

Unless the amount is paid beforehand, the holdings will be auctioned on February 22 by Landmark at Goulburn Workers Club, Council says.

Corporate services director Brendan Hollands said the action was a last resort.

“Council only takes this course where there’s a total of five years in outstanding rates on properties and owners haven’t made a payment in that time,” he said.

“Quite a number of these are beyond that.”

Three properties are at Tallong, two at Middle Arm, and one each at Brayton, Bungonia and Tarago. In Goulburn, a house in Martyr St and another in Coromandel St are to be auctioned. They have debts ranging from $1493 to $23,081. 

Mr Hollands said numerous attempts were made to contact owners during the five years before deciding to sell properties. In some cases Council can’t identify the owners, some owners are deceased and in others, names have been left off transfer title deeds.

“We exhaust all avenues of working out who people are, where they are and give them a chance to come forward and pay,” he said.

Councillors make the decision on a case by case basis in a closed session at ordinary meetings. But staff wait until there’s a sufficient number to sell before putting them all in an agent’s hands.

One of the more unusual properties is The Forest cemetery, off Middle Arm Rd (see related story).

In closed committee at the most recent meeting, councillors decided to proceed with sale of 2023 square metres on which the cemetery sits, unless three conditions were met. The property has $1499 in rates outstanding. 

Previously, Council withdrew two other Goulburn properties from sale due to “extenuating circumstances.”

Meantime, Council had $1 million outstanding in general rates in 2012/13, or 3.19 per cent, Mr Hollands confirmed. This was down from $1,435, 000 the previous year, or 4.5pc.

“The 2012/13 figure was down from seven to eight per cent rates outstanding a few years ago, so it’s basically halved,” Mr Hollands said.

He told the Post that 3.19pc of rates outstanding “was probably one of the better figures.”

During the last financial year, Council sent out 2792 letters of demand for payment of property rates totalling $2.499m, Mr Hollands said. The debts ranged from $264 to $38,742.

They are the final warning letter before legal action proceeds and may be issued against the same property throughout the year.

“Out of these letters, statements of claim were issued against 391 properties, with 97 of those proceeding to the first major legal action stage of judgment,” Mr Hollands said.

Goulburn Mulwaree was one of the first councils to introduce a rates hardship policy in 2009.

People struggling to pay rates and charges can apply to Council for help.

Over the past year, the council only received 10 hardship applications, with eight of those approved.