One doesn’t have to walk more than a block in any direction to find properties that are uninhabited, falling apart and partially blocked by police tape.

The articles on a property tax by John Consiglio (The Sunday Times of Malta, December 28, 2014 and January 4) were very well written. While there may be many reasons for the introduction of a property tax in Malta, it is most definitely needed on long vacant and unutilised property.

Living in Senglea, one doesn’t have to walk more than a block in any direction to find properties that are uninhabited, falling apart and partially blocked by police tape. Aside from being dangerous, they lower adjacent property values by appearing abandoned and dilapidated.

Often these properties are left to decay because there are so many heirs scattered all over the globe – each owning five per cent – who have no incentive to do anything with the property.

In this case, an accelerating property tax on vacant property would be a financial incentive for absent owners to organise themselves to either maintain or dispose of the property.

It is equally possible that no one knows who owns some of these houses. The absence of a complete register of property in Malta is not an acceptable reason for doing nothing to maintain the stock of historic housing in Malta. Something needs to be done.

In North America a municipality has the legal right to order repairs to premises to bring it up to acceptable standards of safety and aesthetics. This cost is added to the property taxes, and if those taxes are not paid within a reasonable period (say five years), then the municipality has the authority to take possession of the property and sell it by auction.