Guide
When property taxes go unpaid, Alberta municipalities recover the debt by selling the land at a public auction. Here is how it works, in plain terms. This is general information, not legal advice, so always confirm the details with the municipality.
If property taxes stay unpaid for more than a year, an Alberta municipality can sell the land to recover what it is owed. This happens under Part 10 of the Municipal Government Act. The land is sold at a public auction that anyone can attend and bid at.
Council must set a reserve bid as close as reasonably possible to the market value of the parcel. Bidding opens at the reserve, so it is the lowest price the municipality will accept. If no one bids the reserve, the parcel does not sell that day.
This is what makes Alberta attractive to buyers. The owner can pay the arrears any time up until the auction to keep their land, but once the auctioneer declares a parcel sold, the sale is final and title transfers. There is no waiting period to buy back the property afterward.
If a parcel does not sell at auction, the municipality can take title and later sell it at market value. Many municipalities also sell ordinary surplus lots they own. These show up on the map alongside the tax-sale auctions.
We gather these notices from the Alberta Gazette and from municipal auction lists and put them on one map, so you do not have to check every town, RM and village yourself. Always verify a listing against the municipality's own notice before you act.