Cypress County forgiving more than $500K in delinquent property taxes

By Medicine Hat News on December 4, 2019.

Cypress County will write off property taxes totalling $550,000 from 13 oil and gas companies that are either two years behind on payments or are currently in bankruptcy proceedings.

The analysis was made public on Tuesday as county council voted to apply for a provincial program to cancel a portion owed for education taxes.

Through a refund, the county could receive about $135,000 from the province strictly on the education tax owing from 55 accounts attached to wells or oilfield infrastructure, like pipelines or batteries.

That amount is apart from a separate $50,000 that Cypress County has already received related to the wells from distinct provincial program to lower tax burden on shallow gas producers.

The largest amount in new program application is Sanling Energy, which is two years behind on 20 accounts for a total of $269,000.

Of that, $73,100 relates to education tax.

Among the companies listed in documents on Tuesday are several junior oilpatch companies that are in creditors protection actions.

The seven Cypress County tax accounts related to Questfire Energy show a total of $173,400 owed. It entered court creditors arrangement proceedings in Dec. 2018

Houston Oil And Gas ceased operations on Nov. 6, 2019, days before 2019 county tax deadline, its accounts totalling $43,800.

Luxur Resources owes $36,900 on one substantial property over two tax years. Little information is readily available on privately owned company.

Another company, Canadian Oil and Gas International, better known at COGI, has been operated by a court-appointed receiver since 2015. It owes Cypress County $13,352 owed, including $2,800 for education purposes.

Various amounts are listed for eight other companies ranging from $200 to $6,000, which county administrators now believe is uncollectable.