Property taxes in Rio Chico
The local municipality where Rio Chico is located (called "Municipio Paez") levies a property tax on each apartment. This is normally paid annually and it is the obligation of each owner to pay this individually, as this is not collected by Isla de Oro or paid by Isla de Oro.
The amount varies, depending on the size and value of your apartment, but most owners currently seem to pay from $60 to $100 per year in property taxes.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T PAY PROPERTY TAXES YEARLY OR IF YOU PAY LATE?
The municipality currently does not enforce a collection policy and it is possible to let several years of property taxes accumulate, with no sanctions or penalties apart from paying a nominal interest on past due amounts.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU NEVER PAY?
Nothing, really. Although in theory they could attempt collection of the debt and take you to court, this has never happened and it is unlikely that it ever will. There is, however, the obligation to stay current with your property taxes if you want to engage in a transaction involving your apartment.
This obligation is enforced in that the local property registry will NOT register a sale unless presented with a "solvencia", a certificate issued by the municipality which shows that all past property taxes have been paid and that no property taxes are owed. This certificate is available by request for a fee equivalent to less than $2 and is obtained at Alcaldia de Rio Chico, at Plaza Bolivar (the main square in front of the Rio Chico Catholic Church.)
CAN YOU PAY MY PROPERTY TAXES FOR ME?
Yes, upon individual request. This is not automatically, however. Please contact us to let us know that you would like us to do this. We will find out how much you owe and get it paid on your behalf.
IF I WANT TO PAY THIS MYSELF, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
The municipality does not send out any bills, invoices or collectors to any address, neither in Venezuela nor abroad. Nor is property tax information currently online anywhere.
If you want to pay this yourself, contact the town administration (in Spanish) to find out how much is owed. It may then be paid at the municipality's cashiers' office in local currency.
Municipio Páez
Address:
Calle Las Mercedes,
Casa Municipal,
RÃo Chico, Miranda State
Venezuela
Ph.: +58 - 234 - 877 4490
+58 - 234 - 877 4663
+58 - 234 - 877 4468
See also:
http://www.alcaldias.com/riochico/
WHAT IF THE PROPERTY TAX BILL SHOWS THE RIGHT APARTMENT, BUT A STRANGE NAME?
It is highly unlikely that your property tax bill will be issued to your name. Normally, these bills are in the name of the very first original owner of your Isla de Oro apartment and have never been changed ever since. The property tax registry (operated by the municipality) is NOT online or otherwise coordinated with the property registry (operated under the national Ministry of Interior and Justice) or with the Isla de Oro membership roster (kept by us), so a change in ownership is not reflected at the level of property taxes. You may request a change to reflect that the annual property tax bills to be issued in your name but few people ever do, and the municipality does not care much either way as long as someone occasionally shows up to settle the bills.
