Well after I read the article, without further details, I'm still in the dark regarding Costco's part in it. Seems more to me like the City, or whatever, has been up to some questionable practices that border on fraud, but then I am only going by what little I understand of Canadian law regarding Right of Domain, not American.

Canada has no property rights enshrined in a constitiution, in effect everything belongs to what is deemed, "the Crown" and confiscation of property occurs on a regular basis, as in the case of the failure to pay property taxes, on said property and the construction of public works, ie roads, airports, hospitals etc. I also believe that the Crown is obliged to pay "market value" (sometimes a debatable point in the minds of those forced to give up their real property) for the property confiscated for public works. Properties confiscated and sold for outstanding taxes, sometimes may go a bit cheaper, but again, they are supposed to relect fair market value, the money from said sale, which then accrues to "the Crown".

I have never heard of the Crown, in this country, confiscating private land, in order to turn it over to another private individual or corporation , in an endeavour to gain more tax revenue. That's pretty weird.