In a move to intensify recovery of unpaid property tax amounts from asseesees, the Madurai Corporation has started serving Form 7, which empowers the civic body to initiate legal action to attach immovable properties, for which tax has not been paid for long.

Recently, Corporation Commissioner Gaurav Kumar had convened a meeting with officials and stressed collection of all the taxes without harassing the public and ensuring that there was no room for undue delay. Apart from online payment, the assessees were given the option of remitting the taxes at the tax collection centres, the officials said.

In the process, the revenue officials zeroed in on certain assessees who had failed to remit taxes on time. The taxes have to be remitted twice a year — April to September and October to March.

For instance, a private marriage hall on Aruppukottai Main Road in Villapuram (Ward 91 in zone 5) had not remitted property tax since 2022-23. The arrears to be paid by the owner in 2026 (first half year) stood at a whopping ₹39,56,002.

A team of officials, led by Deputy Commissioner Rajaram, swung into action and served Form 7 notice on the defaulter on Wednesday. A copy of the notice was pasted on the premises. The officials also issued similar notice to a building owner who runs an automobile showroom in Ward 72 for non-payment of taxes for long period.

Apart from the property tax collection drive, which began in the recent weeks, the authorities have also been imposing fines on buildings for violations/ deviations in construction, non-implementation of solid waste management system, delayed remittance of taxes, and others.

An official said Form 7 empowered the civic body to attach the immovable property. “In the event of non-payment of the arrears with statutory charges within the stipulated time, the officials can proceed with legal action. Public auction is one way to recover the tax dues,” he added.

The civic body has also imposed fines on those smoking, spitting or urinating in public spaces and for dumping waste in unauthorised spots. In the last two months (June and July) alone, the Corporation collected over ₹20 lakh as fines on these counts.

Published - August 13, 2026 08:20 pm IST