Leftover parcels reviewed

Paul Sinders

On Monday, the Clay County Commissioners conducted a special meeting to review the parcels leftover from the county delinquent property tax sale, which took place Sept. 30, 2010.

At the conclusion of the county tax sale, 143 parcels were left unsold and were turned over to the commissioners for their consideration.

In recent weeks, the commissioners scouted the remaining parcels to help determine a reasonable price to sell them.

After looking at the parcels, it was found many of them were remaining acreage from the creation of subdivisions, railroad rights-of-way and other small strips of land.

"In the past couple certificate sales, we have attempted to contact property owners adjacent to these parcels, some of which have been in numerous sales," Commissioner Paul Sinders said.

Commissioner Jack Withers added, "We had these down at a low price last year, and some of the properties would cost more to clean up than what is owed in delinquent taxes."

In last year's certificate sale, all but two of the available parcels had a cost set at more than $100, but the commissioners decided to go even lower this time around.

A vast majority of the available parcels were set at a minimum bid of $10, while a few others were even set as low as $1. The highest minimum bid set on any parcel was $50.

"The purchaser would still also be responsible for the legal work, which includes the title search," Clay County Auditor Mary Jo Alumbaugh said.

Unlike the county tax sale, in which the purchaser has one year to complete the title search and send out notices to parties with an interest on the parcel prior to petitioning the courts for a deed, the time period is only 120 days following a certificate sale.

However, at any point within the 120 days, the owner of the parcel may redeem the property by paying the entire amount owed, not just the cost the buyer paid, which would remove the property from delinquency. Properties may also be redeemed up to the time the sale starts to remove it from the tax sale list, and the owner would also be responsible for the fees incurred by the buyer.

The commissioners approved a motion to accept the new prices, and tentatively set the Commissioners' Tax Certificate Sale for 10 a.m., Thursday, April 14, at the Clay County Courthouse.

The next regular meeting of the Clay County Commissioners will be 9 a.m., Monday, Feb. 7, in the Commissioners' Courtroom at the Clay County Courthouse.