The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has postponed its scheduled online auction of five tax-defaulting properties after recovering ₹25 crore in pending dues from four defaulters. The civic body said it will now prepare a new list of seven major property owners for the next round of auctions as part of its wider effort to recover long-standing property tax arrears across Mumbai.
According to officials, the auction — initially planned for November 6 — was deferred after owners of properties in Vile Parle, Chunabhatti, Borivali and Chembur cleared their dues following public notices and deadline extensions. Only one property, located on Abdul Rehman Street, remains on the list, with a base price of ₹26.01 crore and no bids received so far. “The public announcement created the intended pressure on defaulters. Since most of them have cleared their dues, conducting an auction for a single property is not financially practical. We are instead preparing a fresh list of major defaulters,” a senior civic official said. The process will involve verifying ownership and checking for ongoing litigations before issuing new notices.
The civic administration had earlier published the auction notice on October 1 to recover long-pending taxes from five properties. The campaign marked the city’s first such auction drive in nearly four decades. Officials noted that extending the deadline after an initial round with no bids proved effective in compelling defaulters to settle payments voluntarily. Mumbai’s property tax arrears have ballooned to ₹22,000 crore, including penalties accumulated over the last 15 years. Civic officials say that tackling these arrears is essential to improving financial stability and supporting the city’s infrastructure needs, particularly in waste management, road maintenance, and sustainable housing projects.
Urban governance experts believe such recovery efforts reflect a long-overdue tightening of municipal fiscal management. “By reclaiming unpaid dues, the civic body can reduce dependency on state transfers and reinvest in essential infrastructure that supports equitable urban growth,” said an urban finance analyst. As Mumbai prepares its next round of property auctions, the BMC aims to blend strict enforcement with strategic outreach — encouraging compliance while avoiding unnecessary litigation. Officials say the ultimate goal is not punitive, but to establish a culture of fiscal responsibility that underpins the city’s sustainable development.
BMC Recovers Rs 25 Crore From Defaulters, Postpones Property Auction To Revise List
