Residents in every Municipality are required to pay municipal property taxes. Property taxes collected in the Municipality of Port Hope provide for your local services such as local road repair, snow clearing, fire services, and much more.
To contact staff about property tax due dates or questions about paying your taxes, please call 905-885-4544
February 26, 2025 - Interim Levy First Installment
April 28, 2025 - Interim Levy Second Installment
TBD - Final Levy First Installment
TBD - Final Levy Second Installment
There are various ways that you can pay your property taxes in the Municipality of Port Hope. Learn how to make a payment and the payment options we have available for you.
Due date extensions for Port Hope farmland owners |
| As a Port Hope farmland owner, you can pay your property taxes until October 21 of the current year without penalty and interest on any outstanding property taxes. For a copy of the deferral of property tax payments By-law 12/2006 please contact us by phone at 905-885-4544 or by email. |
Supplemental tax bill due dates |
| You will receive a supplementary tax bill if you have purchased a newly built home or constructed home improvements. Please visit our assessments page to learn more about supplementary tax bills. |
Direction of school support |
| Your property taxes support the Municipality’s English Public School board by default. The type of school support that you are supporting can be found either on your property assessment notice that you receive from MPAC, or on your property tax bill.
You can change your school support if you meet the criteria. The types of school support include:
If you would like to change the direction of your school support you will need to complete the Change Direction of School Support application on the MPAC website.
We collect school support within your property taxes on behalf of Northumberland County and the School Boards. |
Learn more about tax rates and calculate property taxes using your property assessment.
We offer many tax rebates to eligible Port Hope applicants who may be looking for property tax relief.
Learn more about property assessments and your property profile.
| Service Charges | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tax Certificate | $40.00 |
| Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) cheque or returned payment | $30.00 |
|
Unofficial Statement of Property Tax/Reprint of Tax Bill **The first reprint of the current year Tax Bill is free |
$5.00 |
|
Tax Account Title Change (including sales, transfers, adding and removing mortgagee) |
$25.00 |
| Electronic Payment Transfer (wrong account for taxes and/or water) | $25.00 |
| Additions to Tax Roll (water/sewer arrears, property standards) | $25.00 |
| Refund of Overpayment by Property Owner, Mortgage Company, and Lawyers | $25.00 |
| Farm Debt Notice | $50.00 per notice |
| Tax Sale Administration | Actual costs incurred |
| Interest on tax accounts will be applied as per the Interim Tax Levy and Levy By-laws. | Please refer to the latest Interim Tax Levy and Levy By-laws |
Change your mailing address
You can change your mailing address by completing our mailing address change form. Please send us your form by one of the following:
- Submit Online
- Download your form, select print at the top right of your screen, complete the fields, and place it in the drop-box mail slot at Town Hall 56 Queen Street
- Download your form, select print at the top right of your screen, complete the fields, and mail to Town Hall 56 Queen Street, Port Hope Ontario, L1A 3Z9
- Download your form, select print at the top right of your screen, complete the fields, and fax it to 905-885-1807
Please note: If you do not get a Property Tax Notice, this does not remove your responsibility for paying property tax penalty. Please ensure the Finance Department has your correct mailing address.
Tax Sales
The Municipality can sell properties with two years of unpaid taxes. The tax sale process takes about a year to complete. In that year, the property owners have a chance to pay back the taxes and fees associated with the tax sale and stop the tax sale process. If the amount is not paid by the due date, then the property will be listed for tax sale. The rules for the tax sale come from the Municipal Act.
Before you start
If you are considering participating in a property tax sale, it is highly recommended that you seek independent legal advice from a lawyer licensed to practice in Ontario and in good standing with the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Potential tenderers are strongly encouraged to:
- Perform their own title search by visiting the Ontario Land Registry’s website
- Review the Municipality’s Zoning maps and Zoning By-law
- Contact the Municipality’s Development Services department with questions about permitted land use of the sale properties
Properties for sale
View the properties that are currently available for sale by public tender. If you’re interested, you can place a bid on one of these properties.
There are currently no properties available for tax sale within the Municipality of Port Hope. Please check back at a later date.
How to obtain a tender package
You can obtain a tender package in person at Town Hall, Finance Department, 56 Queen St., Port Hope, ON L1A 3Z9, or at www.OntarioTaxSales.ca
Cost: $25.00 + HST
For more information contact: Sandra Brown or visit: www.OntarioTaxSales.ca
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is a property tax sale? | A property tax sale is the process followed by a municipality to recover unpaid property taxes through the sale of the property. Properties become eligible for tax sale once they are two years in arrears. Tax sales are governed by the Municipal Act, 2001 and Ontario Regulation 181/03 Municipal Tax Sales Rules made under the Act. |
| Can I visit the parcel or property that is for tax sale? | No, entering onto a property advertised for tax sale is trespassing. The Municipality does not own the property, and the current property owner on title may still be residing on the property. |
| Where can I find more information about the permitted use (s) of the property? | Please refer to our Zoning By-law and our Official Plan for a full list of permitted uses, setbacks, and other regulations. Contact the Planning and Development Department with questions on zoning or land use. |
| Is there a deposit that must be made at the time of submitting a tender? | A deposit of at least 20 per cent of the tender bid amount is to be submitted with the tender. Deposits must be in the form of a money order, bank draft or certified cheque by a bank or trust corporation. The deposit should be made payable to the “Municipality of Port Hope”. Cash is not accepted and will result in the tender being rejected. |
| How do I submit the tender package? | Your tender must be submitted in a sealed envelope, addressed to the Treasurer. Please use the pre-addressed envelope provided in the tender package to submit any bids. You can submit your tender in person at The Municipality of Port Hope, Town Hall, Finance department, 56 Queen St., Port Hope, ON L1A 3Z9, or by mail or courier. Your tender must be received on or before the time and date indicated in the notice of tax sale. If your tender is received late, it will be rejected. Rejected tenders will be returned following the tender closing date. |
| Can I submit tenders for more than one parcel or property? | Yes, you can submit bids on more than one parcel or property. You will need to submit the separate bids in separate bid envelopes for each parcel or property. Any combined bids in one envelope will be rejected. |
| What happens if I don’t have the highest tender? | We’ll return all tenders that are received except the two highest tenders. Please ensure that the address and phone number you provide is written clearly so we can return your tender and deposit. |
| What happens if I do have the highest tender? |
Within 14 days of being declared, the successful purchaser is required to pay:
The deposit (required as per Ontario Regulation 181/03) is forfeited to the municipality if the transaction is not completed within the 14 days. |
| Can the Municipality cancel a tax sale? | Yes, a tax sale can be cancelled by the Treasurer at any time before a tax deed or notice of vesting is registered on title. This means a tax sale can be cancelled before the tender opening or even after the tender is closed. |
|
Why would a tender be rejected? |
A tender may be rejected for some of the following reasons:
|
Important notes
The municipality makes no representation regarding the title to a property or any other matters relating to the lands to be sold.
The property may be worth more or less than the minimum tender amount. It is the tenderer’s responsibility to do their own research before submitting a tender on a parcel or property.
Every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided. However, the Municipality of Port Hope, its officers and employees disclaim any liability for providing any of the information on this page.