by TREVOR YEARWOOD

THE LAND TAX DEPARTMENT has a near $100 million problem on its hands.

Property owners owe it $99.6 million and are slow in paying up.

Commissioner of Land Tax Wayne Forde said the figure, that includes interest and a five per cent penalty, had climbed from $90.5 million around this time last year.

Forde spoke against the backdrop of the department's announcement it would sell over 30 properties between May 5 and June 10 to clear arrears of land tax.

The properties, listed in Press ads, include Kings Beach Hotel of Road View, St Peter, which the department had put on the block last year to collect about $1/2 million in arrears. That sale is set for May 27 at 3 p.m.

The properties also include land and buildings in the Marhill Street, Dottin's Alley area of Bridgetown owned by Ron Hope Insurance Services Limited.

Also listed to come under the hammer are land and buildings owned by Caribbee Limited at Westmoreland in St James, as well as about 73 306 square feet of land and buildings owned by JGL Hotels Limited in Road View, St Peter.

The department also gave notice of the planned sale of a number of St Thomas properties: 61 674 square feet of land and buildings in Vaucluse owned by Jolubann Inc.; and land and buildings at Edgehill owned by Lee's Transport Services Ltd.

Forde said, however, that even at this late hour the door was not closed on the properties being allowed to clear their bill.

"We have had responses from some parties and acceptable arrangement has been entered into to halt further action. However, there are still a number of individuals and businesses that are failing to meet their obligations," he said.

He pointed out, though, that the department would not tolerate property owners defaulting on commitments made to stop the sale.

According to Forde, "an acceptable starting point" is payment of not less than 25 per cent of the total arrears and payments spread over a specified period.

He spoke of a tendency of taxpayers "to wait until the sale is impending" before trying to make arrangements to pay up.

"While it is understandable in some cases, it may mean that the total amount owed will have to be paid . . . to halt the action," he pointed out.

Forde also said the department has a short-term relief plan in place whereby taxpayers can enjoy a rebate of 50 per cent of the unpaid interest on their accounts and 100 per cent of the penalties owed if the accounts are settled in full by March 31.

"This can be done on a year to year basis," he said.