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INUVIK
Pauline Peterson’s home was one of the units put up for bid during a tax property auction in December since it has accrued $42,000 in unpaid property taxes. It was not the first time the property was in this position, but it was the first time someone made a bid on it.

Pauline Peterson sits in her home on Saturday, the last day she is supposed to inhabit it since it was auctioned off. Peterson with Daughter Sara Gardlund owes about $42,000 in property taxes and is not eligible for a disability exemption because her son's name is also listed as owner of the property. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

Peterson is in a wheelchair and is visually impaired, yet is unable to take advantage of an exemption on property taxes for people with disabilities since her son’s name is also listed as a titleholder of the property – although he lives in Aklavik.

She had 30 days to refute the bid, which expired on Saturday.

Peterson spoke to council at the Jan. 9 public question period of the committee of the whole, stating her problem and asking if anything could be done to allow her to keep her home, which she has lived in since 1994.

Although her property has been up for auction before, she said she never knew what to do, where to go or who to turn to. She said she was attempting to contact her son to come to town and remove his name, yet was unable to as the deadline closed in.

“I want to continue staying in my home. I don't have a very big income, I’m on a fixed basis every month. I get a little bit from income support – pay half of my power and my water,” Peterson told council.

Mayor Denny Rodgers said once someone makes a bid on the unit, the tenant has 30 days to pay the money owing. He said if the property is sold, the money owing is gathered and “the balance stays in a trust and goes to the property owner or anyone who has a lien on the property.”

“As a town, we are in the business of collecting taxes,” he said.

He said he realized in this situation, it was the 11th hour, with Peterson addressing council five days before the deadline.

Although Rodgers promised Peterson town administration would look at the legal implications and come to a decision about it at the Jan. 11 council meeting, it was then stated the town was indeed legally obligated to sell the property, since her son’s name was listed as a titleholder.

On Saturday, as Peterson sat at a table in her home on Inuvik Drive with her daughter, she said she is not budging.

“My plan is I’m not going anywhere. I’m challenge the sale on the unit,” she said.

“I’m not going to let it go for $42,000. That’s crazy. That’s my home for 17 years and on top of that, I got it at a low income … Why am I going to let something like this go? This is my home … I’m going to fight for what I have.”

Sara Gardlund, Peterson’s daughter, lives with her mother and attended the Jan. 9 meeting as well. She said no matter what develops in the end, this is a learning experience for others: to know to act fast, to ask questions and get answers before it’s too late.

“It’s not only us in this situation. They need to know what they can do and who they can contact and how to go about these things before it gets too late.”

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