Osage County commissioners hear appeal after home buyer learns property removed from NRP rebate

Osage County commissioners on Thursday heard residents and the property seller contest a county decision that removed a recently completed house in Osage City from the county's Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP).

The buyers, Sharon and Randy ("Randy") Cummings, told the commission they closed on the home on May 14, 2025, in reliance on the NRP benefit that was advertised with the listing. The property owner, Jennifer Ingram (who lives in Canada), told commissioners the parcel had been enrolled in the NRP and that outstanding 2023-24 taxes were believed to have been paid; the property was later flagged by county staff for nonpayment and removed from the program before the buyers discovered the problem.

Why it matters: The NRP offers a multi-year rebate of the tax increase caused by improvements; buyers and the seller said the program influenced the sale and that removal of the parcel threatens the buyers' expected tax savings and their post-closing plans.

At the meeting, Amy Lohmeier, who represented Ingram in the sale, said the seller and her mother tried to resolve tax payment difficulties and that a county database error and address/parcel-record issues may have prevented timely payment or proper posting of the payment. She asked commissioners to reinstate the parcel to the NRP.

Tricia (Trish) Webb, a county land-development official, explained the program's eligibility rules and the office's review practice: applications are conditionally approved before construction begins, a parcel must be current on taxes at the time the rebate is granted, and the rebate typically begins the year after a property is assessed on Jan. 1 following completion. Webb said the office does not mark a property fully accepted into the program until county staff verify completion, correct parcel combining (where a house sits on two parcels), and tax status. Webb said she believed the property had not been formally presented to the commissioners for conditional approval before construction finished.

Buyers described practical problems they encountered after closing: mail and utility systems would not accept the new address; they visited Webb's office on May 30 to register as owners and discovered the NRP removal. The buyers and their realtor, Carla Sloop, provided closing documents showing that the NRP benefit had been disclosed to potential buyers.

Commission discussion focused on process questions and precedent. Commissioners acknowledged procedural confusion: several staff members and outside realtors had given informal assurances to applicants in the past, some parcels had been conditionally approved on earlier agendas, and the county's record systems (parcel maps, tax payment portals, and 911 addresses) had inconsistent information in this instance. The treasurer's office told the commission it uses a May cutoff (May 20 in this cycle) to collect tax receipts for the distribution that funds rebates, and that local practice includes limited grace windows around due dates when they occur on weekends.

Outcome and next step: Commissioners did not issue a final ruling at the meeting. The board agreed to have county counsel and staff review the specific file, consider whether a precedent exists for making a one-time exception, and return the matter to the next commission agenda. Commissioners said they would evaluate whether allowing this parcel back into the program would create an unmanageable precedent for other similarly affected properties.

What was not decided: The commission did not formally reinstate the property at the meeting and did not vote on a variance or exception. Commissioners repeatedly stated they were sympathetic to the buyers but concerned about opening the program to many retroactive exceptions without clear rules.

Context: Commissioners described recent broader work to tighten NRP procedures and communications, including plans to pause new applicants, clarify application timing (when conditional approvals should be requested), require signed acknowledgement of program parameters, and to separate economic-development specifics into a separate plan. Commissioners said they will review suggested rule changes before reopening the program.

For residents: Staff advised homeowners and sellers to verify parcel combining, 911/address records, and tax status directly with the treasurer and land-development office early in a build or sale to avoid similar problems.