A Tasmanian council have auctioned off part of a honey farm after its family owners refused to pay council rates on their home because it was on ‘God’s land.’
Meander Valley mayor Craig Perkins had been left with no choice but to put their Mole Creek home up for auction last month after the family failed to pay the rates on one property.
After correspondence hit a stalemate, the council put the Melinda Park house under the hammer on Friday morning at Westbury Town Hall, where it sold to a mystery bidder for $120,000.
‘It’s disappointing that it has come to this,’ Mr Perkins said.
‘Council has had to spend a lot of time and resources to pursue this based on someone who’s not prepared to understand and appreciate the law of the land.’
The Melita Honey Farm was one of three plots that had overdue rates to be paid to the council
An anonymous source paid off two of the plots’ debts which left the Meander Valley Council no choice but to move to sell the Melita Park plot (pictured)
And Mr Perkins revealed the final figure was well below the market price for the area.
‘I suspect low 300s would have been a good price to pay for it,’ he said.
‘They’ve picked up a property in a lovely part of Tasmania, I suspect, at significantly less than market value.’
The proceeds will be used to pay off the family’s council debt, believed to be $4,000, with the remainder of the money to go to the family.
The family had refused to pay fees on their three properties since 2010, but were handed a helping hand in June as an ‘anonymous source’ paid debts on two of their plots in Chudleigh, ABC News reported.
The three plots owned by the Beerepoots family had left them with $9,332 in arrears owed to Meander Valley Council as they took a religious stance on rates claiming it was a matter ‘between the council and God’.
Following months of deliberation, Perkins decided enough is enough and revealed the council intended to follow through with the sale of their property as the family show no signs of paying off the debt.
‘It’s disappointing that we have to go to this extreme to recover rates and that the property owners haven’t been able to come to the realisation that we are serious about what we said we are going to do.’
Meander Valley mayor Craig Perkins confirmed that an unnamed source had paid the council the debts of two of the properties several weeks ago
It was discussed and agreed at a council meeting in March to sell all three properties if the debts remained unpaid by June 21.
Perkins confirmed that an unnamed source had paid the council the debts of two of the properties several weeks ago.
‘We understand it was an anonymous source that understands the value of that business to the Chudleigh community,’ he said.
‘If they arrived down here with a cheque tomorrow to pay the rates and costs associated with it so far, we would ask no more questions.’
‘Unless there’s a change of heart and they come to a new realisation and hopefully find some new text within the Bible that allows them to pay rates, I fear we will be in the position in three or so years time.’
The family took a religious stance on rates claiming it was a matter ‘between the council and God’ after insisting the land was owned by the ‘Heavenly Father’ (stock image)
It has been confirmed through a report given to the council that the family have failed to make payments for rates since 2010.
The owners admitted to council members in November 2016 that they had no intention on coughing up the cash owed to them.
‘They steadfastly reaffirmed their belief that the land was not theirs, but that of the Heavenly Father, that the council would be taking the land from him and that was a matter between council and God,’ the report read.
The owners of the three properties are a Dutch family who moved to Australia in the 1980s.
Before moving to Tasmania, they lived in Western Australia for 15 years.
Their business in Chudleigh has thrived since their arrival selling honey and other honey related items as well as gifts and books.
Their two Chudleigh plots offer an interactive experience for visitors with live bee exhibitions and a museum of old beekeeping implements.
Their business in Chudleigh (pictured) has thrived since their arrival selling honey and other honey related items as well as gifts and books
Their two Chudleigh plots offer an interactive experience for visitors with live bee exhibitions and a museum of old beekeeping implements