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Junction City Land Bank authorizes staff to clear property titles, elects mayor and vice mayor
Summary
The Junction City Land Bank voted to authorize staff to pursue title-clearing actions (including quiet-title) on several lots with unclear deeds and elected the corresponding mayor and vice mayor as chair and vice chair. Heartland Title and the county counselor have been contacted to assist.
The Junction City Land Bank voted to authorize staff to pursue title-clearing actions, including quiet-title proceedings, for multiple lots with unclear deeds and elected the corresponding mayor and vice mayor as chair and vice chair.
The move is intended to make parcels that came into the land bank — many from failed developments on the city’s West Side — marketable for sale. A staff member said the land bank discovered a transaction affecting “4 or 5 lots or so” and recommended giving staff authority to undertake deed-clearing steps so properties can be sold.
“The whole point statutorily of the land bank is to make these lots that were supposed to be developed, that are now for the most part green spaces, some of the utilities or roads accessing them to be effectively reutilized. That's the purpose under the statute. That's as clear as it gets,” the staff member said.
The staff member told the board that Heartland Title and county officials have been contacted to evaluate whether notices and deeds from prior tax-sale processes were handled correctly. The staff member said Heartland Title and “Miss Edwards, who's the county counselor,” have already been in contact to see whether the county can help clear title issues.
During discussion the presiding member framed the requested authority as similar to a commission authorization: allowing staff and the land bank authority to pursue title remedies so lots become marketable. The commission moved and seconded the authorization; the motion passed by voice vote.
The board also made a motion to elect the corresponding mayor and vice mayor as the land bank's chair and vice chair, which was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. After completing business, the land bank adjourned.
Next steps recorded in the meeting: staff will continue working with Heartland Title and the county counselor to determine whether quiet-title or other deed-clearing actions are required and, if so, to proceed to make the parcels marketable for sale. No specific timetable or buyer information was provided at the meeting.
