“I always intended to pay back the rates, which I think has been lost in all of this.”

An Auckland activist's home will be sold to recover more than $34,000 unpaid rates and penalties dating back more than 10 years, but she's not moving.

A High Court judgement ruled Penny Bright's Kingsland home would be sold by tender on April 24.

The decision followed an unsuccessful appeal by Bright and a statutory six-month stand down period.

Alex Burton Penny Bright's Kingsland home will be sold in April to recover $34,000 in unpaid rates.

In December 2017, Auckland Council asked the High Court to commence the sale process.

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Bright had been in a bitter stand-off with Auckland Council for 11 years over unpaid rates after she stopped paying them in 2007.

She said she wouldn't pay up until the council was more transparent about its spending.

"I'm making a stand and because I am a whistle blower I'm being singled out and targeted. I am not leaving this is my home," she said.

Bright claimed to have received "no correspondence" from council regarding the sale process, and only found out on March 15 via a letter from the High Court.

"It's upsetting and stressful," Bright said.

"I always intended to pay back the rates, which I think has been lost in all of this.

"This could be simply resolved. The mayor and councillors need to instruct Auckland Council's chief executive Stephen Town to open up the books. I have never received any sort of response from Mr Town regarding any of this and the buck stops with him as far as I am concerned," Bright said.

In February last year, a High Court judge threw out Bright's claims of defamation against Town.

Acting group chief financial officer Matthew Walker said the sale of the property was a last resort and council had exhausted all other avenues to resolve the matter.

"We have written to Ms Bright on a number of occasions and met with her in January in order to discuss payment options.

"Despite this, Ms Bright has continued to refuse to pay her outstanding rates bill, or arrange a payment plan," Walker said.

"While it's unfortunate that we have reached this next step, the council needs to remain fair to the thousands of Aucklanders who do pay their rates or have a payment plan in place."

If an arrangement was not reached with Bright and council between now and the end of the tender process, the proceeds of the sale would be used to recover the full amount of outstanding rates and penalties.

The remainder of the proceeds from the sale would then be released to Bright through the Public Trust.

Bright anticipated a "tidal wave" of public support and said the ball was now in Town's court.