City moves to seize Albert Street eyesore for unpaid taxes (8 photos)

Sault Ste. Marie City Council will be asked next week to set the wheels in motion to start tax sales on 41 properties with a total of $510,304 in unpaid property taxes.

Owners will have 365 days to redeem their properties, after which they will be sold by the city.

The residential and commercial properties facing possible sale include the once-stately-but-now-dilapidated dwelling at 154 Albert Street East shown above.

$3,439 in back taxes are owed on that property, which city building staff say is actually in pretty good shape inside.

Other properties included in the City Council resolution range from an unsafe dwelling on Andrew Street from which squatters were recently evicted, to the perpetually-under-renovation yellow house at Wellington and Pim, to an almost-new home on Ruscio Crescent and even a popular west-side watering-hole.

Here's the full list of affected properties, with current taxes owing:

• 00000 Simon Ave. - $207.89
• 00020 Bowker St. - $9,709.93
• 00019 Murphy St. - $10,133.46
• 00015 Ruscio Cres. - $33,603.72
• 00052 Ferguson Ave. - $4,209.20
• 00814 Wellington St. E. - $31,458.34
• 00764 Wellington St. E. - $3,358.83
• 00318 Albert St. E. - $3,211.46
• 00324 Queen St. E. - $35,341.38
• 00027 Blake Ave. - $6,855.74
• 00093 Grandriver Cres. - $13,847.48
• 00072 Northern Ave. E - $10,595.07
• 00051 Niagara Dr. - $14,816.09
• 00118 Superior Dr. - $12,566
• 01154 Great Northern Rd. - $6,622.97
• 00529 Northland Rd. - $6,622.97
• 00399 Morin St. - $8,193.96
• 00124 Gore St. - $3770.46
• 00137 Albert St. E. - $5,133.45
• 00123 Bruce St. - $22,418.86
• 00128 Andrew St. - $5,665.80
• 00124 Andrew St. - $2,449.03
• 00019 Wellington St. E. - $4,548.20
• 00154 Albert St. E - $3,439.84
• 00013 Abbott St. - $18,033.32
• 00149 Gore St. - $48,429.83
• 00304 Albert St. W. - $21,123.30
• 00201 John St. - $75,151.40
• 00183 James St. - $11,855.69
• 00584 Sherbourne St. - $8,947.72
• 00000 Cheshire Rd. - $1,104.89
• 00630 Brunswick Ave. - $743.75
• 00634 Brunswick Ave. - $867.53
• 00123 Pozzebon Cres. - $6,610.41
• 00845 Bonney St. - $4,769.10
• 00040 Nichol Ave. - $9,953.48
• 00407 Rowell Ave. - $704.19
• 00038 Alden Rd. - $6,118.97
• 00068 Victoria Ave. - $1,709.66
• 00017 Erie St. - $1,057.52
• 00029 Erie St. - $938.83

Earlier this year, city officials commenced a crackdown on messy yards and derelict buildings, saying they'd no longer waste time on unnecessary letters and warnings.

The target for fixing dilapidated buildings is now 35 to 36 days, compared to 81 to 82 days previously.

Ward 4 Couns. Rick Niro and Marchy Bruni had pushed for reductions in the time needed to obtain compliance with property standards and yard maintenance bylaws. 

In June, Brant Coulter was appointed the city's second bylaw enforcement officer and property standards inspector.