Clarion County on Monday morning will conduct its bi-annual judicial sale, which Tax Claim Bureau Director Megan Kerr said has 71 people registered for the auction of 29 properties.
Kerr said because of a change in the law, potential buyers had to register 10 days prior to the sale.
“Friday was the cutoff and it was extremely busy,” she said. “I think this will be a really good sale because we have so many bidders.”
On the list are trailers without any land and mineral rights.
“There are still 16 properties that I feel should sell,” Kerr said Tuesday at the Clarion County commissioners meeting.
Kerr said one property that has received great interest is the parcel at the Strattanville exit of Interstate 80, where Bob’s CB shop sits. Another property drawing interest is a former shopping plaza in Licking Township.
The parcels arrive on the judicial list after every other avenue has been exhausted. Kerr said the owner has to be delinquent on taxes for two years before the property is exposed in an upset sale. The minimum bid has to cover all back taxes, mortgages, and judgments.
“It all comes with it if you are the winner,” Kerr said.
“If the property goes for the minimum bid, the county loses out,” Kerr said. “Once we get to this stage, it is done.”
Kerr said any bid over the minimum would be applied to the past taxes on the property. If there is still money left afterward, Kerr will apply the money to the liens and judgments on the property based on the first to file. If any money is left after all of that, it will go back to the original owner.
“We don’t make anything,” she said. “We are just trying to get our taxes. The county is paid first.”
Kerr must attempt to serve everyone. This year, she attempted to serve someone in Bermuda. She said there are property owners who just don’t want to be found.
Anything that does not sell goes into a repository.
“They basically sit there and collect dust until someone shows interest,” she said, and there are a lot of mineral rights in the repository. She urged anyone who does not own the mineral rights to obtain them.
“We have been trying to return the mineral rights to the current owners,” County Commissioner Ted Tharan said. “The owner could risk having a third party excavate the minerals.”