Madras Race Club told to pay Rs 35 lakhs as property tax

CHENNAI: The Madras Race Club was told to pay Rs 35 lakhs as property tax to the Greater Chennai Corporation within four weeks.

The Madras Race Club management moved the Madras High Court against the Greater Chennai Corporation notice which sent on September 23, 2020 seeking to pay Rs 3,60,41,163 (Three crore and sixty lakh and forty one thousand and one hundred and sixty three rupees) as property tax from 1998 to 2018.

The petitioner contended that it has been settled in Lok Adalat and the property tax has been paid, but without asking any explanation from the Madras Race Club management, a notice has been issued to pay the tax again.

Since the tax levy order has been issued without taking into account the paid property tax, the petitioner sought cancellation of the notice sent by the Greater Chennai Corporation.

When this petition came up for hearing before Justice Anita Sumanth, counsel Rahul representing the Greater Chennai Corporation, contended that since the order has been issued to pay the property tax by following all the rules and regulations, it can not be stayed.

Hearing the arguments, the court refused to stay the notice sent by GCC and ordered the Madras Race Club to pay Rs 35 lakhs as property tax within four weeks. The court also directed the Greater Chennai Corporation to send a fresh notice within six weeks to the Madras Race Club by following appropriate norms of calculating property tax.

It may be recalled that only a week ago MHC had ordered the Madras Race Club told to pay the rental arrears of Rs 730.86 crores in one month for the 160 acres land owned by the government.