Residents in Tasmania’s Meander Valley have refused to pay rates to a “false god”.

The council claims it is owed $9,332 in unpaid rates dating back to 2010 for a property at Mole Creek and two at Chudleigh, but the owners say the “Heavenly Father” owns their properties, not the government.

The families issued a statement to the council saying; “Our Heavenly Father is Sovereign and that He reigns today, thus we worship him alone so that his will is established on the Earth ... you are asking us to bow down to a false god which is something we cannot do.”

 The Council has decided to sell the properties.

The motion to sell triggered a debate in the council chambers this week, with Councillor Rodney Synfield putting forward an alternative motion to refer the matter to the courts.

“I don't think it's at the point of last resort yet,” he said.

“It's occupied, so it's different to the other properties [council] has sold in the past.”

Councillor Ian Mackenzie also said there may be other options.

“I didn't sign up to council to sell residences and businesses,” he said.

Councillor Tanya King said the matter had already gone on for years, and council needed to act.

“[Other ratepayers] are currently subsidising the family and their business,” she said.

“All other options could cost ratepayers more money.”

The council is now bringing in lawyers to help sell the properties.

The Local Government Act mandates that any excess from the sales are returned to the property owners.

“Although they say they don't own the property so I'm not sure how they deal with that,” Councillor Perkins said.

The Meander Valley Council also voted to turn a former primary school into a drug rehab centre.