Mangawhai ratepayers who refuse to stump up for the debts of Kaipara District Council, will have their day in court in August.
Landowners in the coastal town are seeking a judicial review of rates charged for a sewerage system that was supposed to cost about $25 million - and ended up costing nearly $60 million.
A bill to validate the dubious rates retrospectively, has passed its first reading in Parliament.
Mangawhai Ratepayers Association chairman Bruce Rogan said the wrong-doing involved is too important to be swept under the carpet.
He said the council borrowed without the ratepayers' knowledge to cover cost blow-outs that were also hidden from the public and the Auditor-General failed to pick up those errors.
Mr Rogan said ratepayers should not have to pick up the bill where a council acted illegally
The Kaipara rates case is set down for 16 August in the High Court at Whangarei.
