Pune: Single-Storey House Owner Fights PMC's Exorbitant Property Tax Bill

Pune, 25th June 2025: In a bizarre case of administrative lapse, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has levied property tax equivalent to a four-storey structure on a single-storey house in Mundhwa, pushing the total dues to over ₹43 lakh. The house owner, a local carpenter, has been fighting the error for five years and is now being asked to pay ₹17.5 lakh upfront before any corrections are made.

Suresh Sarvade, a resident of Shirke Road in the Mundhwa area, purchased a plot measuring 1.5 gunthas and constructed a 1,300 sq ft single-storey house on it. When he applied to register the property for taxation, the PMC’s Property Tax Department mistakenly assessed it as a four-storey building and issued a hefty tax bill.

Refusing to pay what he considered an inflated tax, Sarvade avoided payment. In 2017, PMC issued him a revised bill of ₹5.5 lakh for non-payment. Since then, Sarvade has repeatedly approached the Dhole Patil Road regional office, urging officials to inspect the property and correct the error. He even personally escorted officials to the site to prove that the structure has only one floor.

Despite verbal assurances, the issue remained unresolved. Three months ago, PMC officials finally acknowledged the mistake but issued a shocking condition: Sarvade must first pay ₹17.5 lakh based on a revised estimate before the correction would be officially processed. A letter from the property tax department confirmed this.

“This amount is more than what I spent building the entire house,” Sarvade said. “They are threatening seizure if I don’t pay. I am completely helpless.”

Sarvade has now submitted an official application to the Deputy Commissioner of the Property Tax Department, Avinash Sakpal, requesting immediate correction of the bill.

According to Avinash Sakpal, Deputy Commissioner, Property Tax Department, PMC, “A complaint has been received about an incorrect tax assessment on a single-storey house. We have called both the complainant and the concerned officials for a meeting on Thursday. All documents will be verified before a final decision is taken.”

This case has sparked concerns over the transparency and efficiency of the PMC’s tax assessment system.