Sale moves ahead

A bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of a portion of the former Sheller-Globe plant on South Bridge Street in Portland to a local furniture manufacturer.
The transaction was expected to close today.
TLS By Design Custom Furniture had petitioned the U.S. District Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Michigan’s Southern Division to have the property freed up for sale. That approval was given last week.
TLS is buying the warehouse building at the north end of the property and a section of parking lot between buildings.
Once part of Sheller-Globe Plant One, the building later housed a number of firms — including Pre-Mix and Bailey Corporation — which also made automobile components.
For the past several years it has been part of bankruptcy proceedings by NM Holdings Company, doing business as Venture Holdings Company.
The balance of the Bridge Street property is expected to go to tax sale on Feb. 14.
There were no bidders on the property at prior tax sales.
Purchase price for the building and land is expected to be $38,500, with $33,000 of that amount going to the county to cover a portion of back taxes due.
TLS approached Jay County Commissioners in January, asking that the county not object to the transaction. Commissioners agreed at that time, calling it a “win-win” situation both for the business and local government.
But a Portland man raised questions about the sale at this morning’s meeting of the commissioners.
Tom Abel told commissioners he believes the former Sheller-Globe plant has environmental issues that should be addressed before any of the property is sold.
Commissioners’ attorney Bill Hinkle explained that any potential environmental questions about the building and land being purchased would have to be addressed by TLS. And while the county has tax liens on the former factory, it has never had the title to the property.
Hinkle, who also serves as city attorney, acknowledged that the city has investigated the steps that might be taken through the state’s Brownfield program to have any environmental issues addressed. But he noted that the Brownfield process usually takes years.
Abel, however, felt the county should take some sort of action.
Commissioners disagreed.
“I think this is a dead conversation,” said commissioner Jim Zimmerman. “We don’t own the property. We have no intention of owning the property. And it’s not our responsibility.”
Auditor Nancy Culy noted that if there are no bids on the remainder of the Sheller-Globe property at the Feb. 14 tax sale, it will go on the list for another tax sale in the future. Some properties have been on the list for tax sale for as long as 10 years before they are sold.
In other business, commissioners received a Google Analytics report from Jeff Dossett of 39 Degrees North spelling out the year’s activity on the Jay County portion of the property information website.
Dossett said that in 2012 there had been 17,630 visits to Jay’s site by 4,688 unique visitors.
Nearly one-quarter of those visits were made by Internet users in the Chicago area, which Dossett said might be viewed as a positive from an economic development perspective.[[In-content Ad]]