County to market condo tied to Medicaid debt via MLS; rejects $2,500 private bid for tax-delinquent lots

The Ways and Means Committee approved declaring 276 Temple Hill Road Unit 807 in Continental Manor surplus and authorized marketing the property through the multiple listing service (MLS) rather than selling to the highest bidder at auction.

Paul Wiley, director of real property tax, said Orange County obtained the condominium after a property owner entered into an agreement with the Department of Social Services to cover a $466,000 Medicaid debt. A life estate for the owner's son ended when the son died in April of the prior year and title reverted to the county. Wiley estimated the unit could sell in the neighborhood of $200,000 based on four nearby sales in the last two years that ranged from about $215,000 to $280,000; he described the unit as a 1979 condominium of roughly 1,176 square feet with two bedrooms and limited recent updates.

Wiley explained the legal basis for marketing through MLS as an exception to the usual requirement to sell to the highest bidder under county law (referenced in the transcript as "New York State County Law 2 15"). He said selling through brokers and listing services typically yields higher net proceeds because auction companies charge higher fees and auction buyers are a narrower pool.

Separately, the committee discussed two adjoining parcels with combined assessed fair market value of about $48,400 and approximately $22,306 due in back taxes, penalties and interest. A private offer of $2,500 was on the table; county staff recommended refusing the offer because it was far below the assessed value and because state case law and prior county practice require surplus and accounting treatments tied to fair market value. The committee voted not to accept the $2,500 offer.

Both decisions were recorded as motions with voice votes in committee; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the public transcript.