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St. Albans council authorizes $210,308.45 payment to redeem taxes on El Rancho property to preserve lien
Summary
Council approved a $210,308.45 payment to the West Virginia State Auditor to redeem delinquent property taxes on a partially vacant lot held by T and C Construction and Services LLC to protect the city's lien and prevent an unrelated buyer from acquiring the site.
The St. Albans City Council voted to approve payment of $210,308.45 to the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office to redeem delinquent property taxes on land described in the record as Lots 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, partial Lot 9 in the Saint Albans Court District (the “El Rancho”/railroad-adjacent property). Council members said the payment will let the city buy the tax lien so it can be the first bidder when the court orders a sale and thereby preserve an existing city lien that the council said originally totaled about $190,000 in fines and has grown with interest.
Council members described the parcel as an eyesore and said it had been used for rental activity that violated codes, with electrical and safety issues cited by the city’s fire marshal. A council speaker said the property owner has been jailed and was unlikely to return to address the violations, making the tax purchase the city’s practical option to protect its financial interest and public safety.
Officials said the city may decide not to demolish the existing building immediately and that any future sale would allow the council to place deed restrictions, such as prohibitions on rental use, to limit recurrence of code violations. The council carried the motion by voice vote; no roll-call tally was given at the meeting.
