B.C. city says 'clerical error' led it to overcharge property owners on their tax bills this year

North Vancouver City Hall is seen in this undated photo from the city's Twitter account (Twitter/@CityOfNorthVan)

The City of North Vancouver says a "clerical error" resulted in it overcharging local property owners on their tax bills this year.

The city announced the error Tuesday, saying the error "occurred when inputting the British Columbia Assessment Authority rate into the tax collection system."

"Upon detection, the error was immediately corrected and credits were applied to all affected tax accounts following thorough review," the city said in a statement.

In total, the city collected $75,784 more than it should have, an amount it says represents about 0.05 per cent of its total tax revenue for 2023.

The effect on individual tax bills varied depending on property class, the city said, noting that "major industry" tax notices saw the highest impact and residential tax notices the lowest.

The average major industrial property was overcharged by $492.02, while the average residential property was overcharged by just $1.89.

A credit for the overpayment will automatically be reflected on 2024 statements when taxes are due, and no action is required from property owners, the city said, adding that those wishing to seek an immediate refund can contact city finance staff.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this clerical error might cause,” said Larry Sawrenko, the city's chief financial officer, in a statement.

“We want to assure all affected property owners that the necessary credits have been applied to their tax accounts and enhanced controls have been put in place to prevent a future occurrence of this nature.”

Property owners are encouraged to direct questions about the situation to [e-mail], the city said.