Holmes County to offer two tax-deeded properties for sealed bids with notice to adjacent owners

The Holmes County Board of County Commissioners reviewed two parcels the county holds after tax-deed acquisition and agreed to offer both by sealed bid, with direct notice to adjacent landowners and newspaper publication.

County staff identified the parcels as 2713 Lewis Levins Drive and 2280 Barrett Hewitt Landing and said the statutory process requires the county to offer tax-deeded property for bid rather than negotiate a private sale. The county attorney reviewed two notification options: 1) publish the notice to the general public and accept sealed bids, or 2) send direct notice to adjacent landowners first and also publish the public notice. Residents living near the parcels asked the board to send direct notice to neighbors; one speaker said much of the surrounding ownership is family and urged that adjacent owners be given notice first.

Commissioners voted to follow the second option: send direct notice to adjacent landowners and publish the sealed-bid notice in the paper. The transcript shows a motion and second and discussion before the board confirmed the second-notice approach.

Staff said they will publish the sealed-bid notice twice in the local paper and accept sealed bids by the published deadline; adjacent landowners will receive direct mailed notice of the opportunity to bid. The county attorney and clerk will oversee the sealed-bid process and return to the board with any bids for acceptance as required by statute.