The City of Vancouver will be forwarding documents to B.C. provincial authorities to determine if a tax break claimed on Conservative Sen. Dennis Patterson's Vancouver home is legitimate, CTV News has learned.
Provincial land title records show Patterson, who has represented Nunavut in the upper chamber since 2009, owns a home in Vancouver. Municipal records show that a home owner grant was claimed for the property from the B.C. government, a discount on the property tax that is only available to homeowners who primarily live in the province.
To be eligible for the grant, homeowners must have most of their personal belongings in B.C. and have or be eligible for a B.C. driver’s licence and medical insurance. They must also file a B.C. tax income return.
A source told CTV News the City of Vancouver will forward the 2010, 2011 and 2012 grant applications for Patterson's Vancouver home to the B.C. Home Owner Grant Administration in Victoria for a review of the claim.
The move was sparked by comments Patterson made in a CTV News story Thursday, the source said, which raised questions about the eligibility of the grant for the property.
Patterson, a former Northwest Territories premier, said Thursday: "I've had a residence in Nunavut since I was appointed to the Senate."
Patterson also told CTV News that he rented out his Vancouver home, and has purchased a condo in Ottawa.
