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Lakeville Select Board authorizes procedure to return excess equity from recent tax‑title sales
Summary
The Select Board voted to direct town officials to pay excess equity from recent tax‑title auctions back to former owners or hold funds until legal questions settle. Motion covers three properties sold at auction and sets a process for future tax‑title sales.
The Town of Lakeville Select Board on Aug. 19 voted to authorize the town administrator and the treasurer/collector to pay claimant former owners the amount equal to the difference between recent sale prices and outstanding tax/title balances, plus sale costs, for three properties sold at auction and to apply the same process to future tax‑title auction sales.
The motion, carried by roll call, named the properties 6 Central Avenue, 4 South Avenue and 3 Walnut Street. Treasurer/Collector Erica (identified in the meeting as the town’s treasurer/collector) described the circumstances of one parcel where a relative of the decedent remained in the house after the town took title and said that person “stayed in that house approximately 4 years after the town took it.” The board discussed holding funds in a special revenue account while heirs or probate questions are resolved and reimbursing the town for taxes and costs before any balance is returned.
Town Administrator Andrew framed the vote as a way to complete the auction accounting and set a consistent policy going forward. Board members voiced unanimous support for returning equity to former owners where the new state law requires it or where the board determines that is fair, while also preserving the town’s right to recover taxes and sale costs. The board asked that returned funds be held in a separate account until title/probate matters are resolved and that the town notify potential claimants as required.
The board also discussed that some of the tax‑title revenues included many years of unpaid taxes and that the town expects to collect back taxes as part of the process. Select Board members emphasized they did not want to be punitive toward families who lost homes but wanted to recover town costs before releasing any remaining funds.
The Select Board’s motion directs the town administrator and treasurer/collector to implement the procedure for the three named properties and to handle future tax‑title auction proceeds the same way. The vote to approve was recorded by roll call as unanimous of the board members present.
The board directed staff to bring back draft administrative language spelling out notification and holding‑account procedures and to ensure any distribution complies with applicable state law and probate outcomes.
