Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1623
confused
4/10/2017 at 2:14 PM
I'm confused on how this is a scam?
The tax list of properties that are in arrears are available online as well as addresses of those properties as well. These companies such as First/Second Mortgage (which appears online, and seems like a company that is in business of giving high interest loans to people that are in arrears), look on all these tax lists then send them to the property owners.
So if your home is not in tax arrears, then you would not call them for a loan. Most people should know by now if they are in arrears as the city has already started the process of warning people to pay or the homes will go for sale in Oct. And yes if property taxes are more than two years in arrears, they do have a tax sale every october.
If you get a letter like this definitely check with the city of brandon to see if you are in arrears, (which you should already know). All letters that are regarding the specifics of your tax arrears will come from City of Brandon. But if you are in arrears and on the tax "list", you may get offers from financial places to help, and you may get people pulling up and checking out your property in hopes of getting it on tax auction day.
Its possible that if you are not on the arrears list, that they sent it by accident to a wrong address when looking up the roll numbers online.
This is basically a loan company that lures in people desperate to keep their homes. And most people that receive this letter ARE on the arrears list. Its the equivalent of a bank sending you out pre approved credit cards, they are just trying to get your business.
A couple years ago, a friend of mine WAS on the tax arrear list, and they received this letter then. As well as received MANY people walking around her property, looking in her windows, in her backyard, checking it out in hopes of purchasing the home for cheap at the auction. All these properties are listed online. And some vultures don't care about the family that may be in hard times and about to lose their home. Luckily she got it paid, and has been a priority to pay since.
Im not sure why anybody would quickly go get a loan to pay something without checking to see if they actually do owe it.
Just my opinion.