Housing committee moves to declare 266–272 Jackson St surplus under Home Equity Theft Act; councilors raise parking, RFP questions

The Lawrence City housing committee presented a motion to declare the city‑owned lot at 266–272 Jackson Street surplus under the Home Equity Theft Act and discussed the statute’s procedural deadlines, realtor/appraiser selection and neighborhood implications.

The City Attorney briefed councilors: “municipalities that elect to sell property will be required to list the property for sale within a hundred and 80 days of the final judgment.” The attorney explained that if a property does not sell within 12 months of listing the municipality must auction it and “the municipality cannot accept auction bids for less than two‑thirds of the appraised property value,” and that excess equity from a sale must be notified to interested parties and distributed to valid claimants within the statute’s timelines.

Committee members explained the practical steps the city must take under the law: procure an appraiser and a realtor, run an RFP process for those services (the attorney said the city is preparing to issue an RFP after a surplus declaration), and track court‑linked deadlines for notice and sale. The attorney said the city intends to run RFPs that can cover multiple properties and to create a roster of qualified realtors and appraisers so properties can be listed more efficiently.

Councilors representing the neighborhood stressed the local consequences. One councilor representing District B asked to be notified before surplus declarations affecting their district are advanced to the housing committee, saying the lot is used informally for parking and that construction of nearby schools will increase parking pressure. The attorney and staff clarified that declaring surplus triggers one of two procedural paths: either retain the property (which requires the city department to identify funds to pay the difference between taxes owed and appraised value) or proceed with sale timelines under the Home Equity Theft Act.

Staff said some parts of the lot are in city ownership and other adjacent parcels are privately owned; the parcel in question is currently used informally for parking, which councilors said complicates neighborhood circulation and school planning.

Committee discussion covered practical questions about procurement and cost: purchasing staff cautioned the city must consider whether individual or grouped RFPs are more cost‑effective and noted realtor compensation is typically a sale percentage, so small parcels may not attract many bidders. The attorney emphasized the statutory timeline is intended to protect homeowners and requires the municipality to document fair market process and appraisal values.

The committee reported that the housing subcommittee had voted a favorable recommendation to advance the surplus declaration to full council; the transcript for this segment records discussion and timelines but does not show a final full‑council disposition in the provided excerpt.