Randall Denley: Todd and Renata Gow could be facing a bill for about $37,500 in vacancy tax, even though they have done nothing out of the ordinary.

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It’s good to see Ottawa city councillors are talking about their punitive vacant unit tax, but it would be markedly better if they were prepared to dump the cash grab that penalizes people who don’t rent or sell vacant properties as quickly as the city would like.

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The discussion at a February city committee was disheartening for those who believe in fairness. The VUT applies onerous penalties on the owners of properties vacant for more than 184 days in a year, with some limited exceptions.

In the first year, the penalty is one per cent of the assessed value of the home, about the same as property taxes. Then it gets worse. In the second year, it goes up to two per cent and........

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