Citizens who are paying mortgages on Housing Development Corporation (HDC) houses will have to pay their own property taxes and will see it manifested in an increase in their monthly installments. This from T&T Mortgage Finance Company (TTMF) Chief Operating Officer, Robert Green.
“The customer comes up with the money for property tax and we pay it on their behalf.”
Green said once the Government has calculated how much property homeowners will have to pay under the new format the TTMF would adjust the customer’s mortgage installment to accommodate the increase.
The TTMF had been previously paying land and building taxes for HDC customers at Board of Inland Revenue offices. The HDC has said it will pay property taxes on its houses which are on rental and rent to own plans. Those who can afford to pay mortgages are transferred to the TTMF.
Other financial institutions which give housing loans had a similar policy as the TTMF. Lisa Oudith, of the Eastern Credit Union’s call centre, said their housing loan customers would pay their own property taxes.
“The home is yours. The name on the deed is yours. We are just holding the deed as collateral until the load is paid off, she added.
Banks did not have a very different policy. A loan officer with Republic Bank told the T&T Guardian the customer would have to pay his own property tax.
“The house is his. The bank will be just holding the deed until he’s done paying,” he said.
The bank would not include the property tax in the customer’s premium since that would have been previously worked out, the officer added. The customer would have to go the relevant office and pay the new tax, he said.