The taxman will hound you to death, even make your grave

[Navtaj Chandhoke]

Especially the property taxman, who knows real estate is not a very liquid asset. It does not move. So, if necessary, he can just take it, carve out his due.

A jumbled bunch. Some vacant land in old Fitzroy Township, 2.5 acres at the twilight zone address of 0 Greenland Road, what looked like a corn-field road allowance in rural Cumberland, a condo unit at 1285 Cahill Dr., and a couple of others we just had to pry into.

There was 8531 Mitch Owens Rd., which is near the hamlet of Edwards but, really, not near anything.

The last occupant of the house was Donald O. Bickerton.

Early on the morning of Nov. 8, 2012, fire broke out in the two-storey farmhouse, which is tucked away behind some mature trees. Next door, Donna Ryan was up getting a glass of water. It was about 4:30 a.m. She saw a red glow coming from 8531. She shouted to her husband, Dan Thibeault, 43, and called 911.

There were flames everywhere, Thibeault later told reporters, literally walls of fire. He darted in anyway, finding Bickerton on the ground floor, lying under a pullout couch. He began to drag him out through the flames. A propane tank, meanwhile, was about to explode near the front door.

Bickerton had burns on his head and an arm, and was suffering from smoke inhalation. He was taken to hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.

The 65-year-old man did not walk well and Thibeault used to pitch in and help him with chores, like snow shovelling or yard work. They were neighbours and pals, sharing bonfires and country music songs.

Now, he had saved his life, at least what remained of it.

One imagines it will be bought, bulldozed and levelled.

This is what happened at 446 Nelson St. in Sandy Hill, for which the city is trying to recover $92,008.32.

Property standards being what they are, you know things are really advanced when the city aggressively steps in.

In November 2007, the city passed a motion saying it had tried mightily to get the owner to remedy the most serious problems, had levied fines, had even undertaken remedial work and billed the owner.

It is peculiar how a person or a family can lose track of a piece of real estate, probably worth in excess of $400,000 just as a pile of dirt. But it happens.

To contact Kelly Egan, please call 613-726-5896, or email kegan@ottawacitizen.com

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