CHICKEN OR EGG

Once upon a time, a property owner discovered that the boundaries on his land title overlapped with those of the neighboring property.

To resolve the issue, he hired a geodetic engineer to conduct a survey and establish the correct tie points. Once the survey was completed, only one step remained: have the Municipal Assessor update its records.

So he went to the Municipal Assessor's Office.

The assessor told him, "Before we can process this, you first need to pay your real property taxes at the Provincial Treasurer's Office."

The Provincial Treasurer's Office happened to be in another part of town, so he made the trip.

When he arrived, the Treasurer's Office told him the opposite.

"We can't accept your real property tax payment until the tie points have been corrected."

So the owner found himself trapped in a perfect bureaucratic loop.

The Assessor's Office wouldn't update the records until the taxes were paid.

The Treasurer's Office wouldn't accept the tax payment until the records were updated.

The end.