County plans tax sale

In an effort to get about 80 properties back on the county tax rolls, the Jay County Commissioners authorized a certificate sale at a potentially steeply discounted rate.

The commissioners chose to hold an online certificate sale for about 80 properties with delinquent taxes, setting minimum bids at 10 percent of the outstanding totals.

The sale will be advertised at a later date with information about the properties, prices and link to the online auction.

Joe Edwards of SRI Inc. discussed the certificate sale this morning in detail with the commissioners, attorney Bill Hinkle, auditor Nancy Culy, Jay/Portland Building and Planning director Bill Milligan and recorder Robin Alberson.

"The goal here is not to make money but to get these back on the rolls," Edwards said. "Basically all this does is shorten the time."

Parcels purchased in a county tax sale don't have property taxes due for about a year. Through a certificate sale, the time before a buyer can obtain a deed is reduced to 90 days.

Edwards stressed to the commissioners that a certificate sale does not guarantee a buyer a deed. Any purchasers will have to perform a title search, notify lienholders and go through legal steps to obtain the deed.

Edwards said through a certificate sale, some properties may be redeemed by owners who don't want to lose it or by parties with an interest to hold the parcel, such as a mortgage company. If a certificate is purchased and the property is redeemed or the buyer decides not to obtain a deed, the money made in the sale is kept by the county.

"It's buyer beware," Edwards said. "If you haven't done your homework, if you don't know what you're buying, don't buy."

Edwards also suggested that the county may want to look into transferring some certificates to municipalities or offering them to non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, before the certificate sale.

The commissioners also could undergo the process and obtain a deed to any of the properties and then convey those to a municipality or attempt to sell those deeds. For some of the more marketable properties, Edwards suggested that might be an option to look into.

"(Buyers) would often give $600 for a deed over $50 for a certificate because they're intimidated (by the process)," he said.

The commissioners said they will likely contact the county's municipalities to see if they would be interested in any of the parcels within city or town borders.

Edwards asked the commissioners to decide on a minimum bid for the properties and reminded them the goal should be to move as many parcels as possible in the sale. He also told the commissioners that since they are only setting a minimum, it's possible for buyers to bid up those properties to a higher final selling cost.

After considering an appropriate percentage, the commissioners agreed that 10 percent of the outstanding taxes would be best to try to attract buyers.

In other business this morning, the commissioners:

•Heard an update from Jay County surveyor Brad Daniels about his plan to combine 39 smaller watersheds into the Salamonie River watershed. Daniels said the process for combination is the same as raising an assessment, meaning the commissioners must hold a public hearing before making any decisions.

Daniels said watersheds currently in debt can also be rolled into the new combined watershed, but the money would have to be tracked separately until the watersheds are no longer in debt. At that point the watershed funds could be added to the community pool of funds.

•Heard an update from Daniels about wetlands at the former XPLEX site on county road 100 North. After meeting with Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier, Daniels explained that the city has agreed to take responsibility for regenerating 15.59 acres of wetlands at the site, which will include flattening some land and planting grass and trees in certain areas.

Commissioner Milo Miller Jr. suggested that county equipment could be used to aid in some of the work.

The plans to reestablish the wetlands are being sent to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management for approval before work would begin.

The county was involved with repairing some drainage features in the now-defunct extreme sports park.

•Received information and a quote from Amanda Clark of Inspired FX to redesign and maintain the county's Web site.

•Made Jay County prosecutor Bob Clamme purchasing agent to contract with a company that will help track property thefts. The cost for the program is $1,428 and will be paid for out of deferral funds.

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