Lackawanna County Land Bank approves preemptive purchase authority, three resolutions and several property sales

At a public meeting of the Lackawanna County Land Bank Board of Directors, members voted to allow the land bank to enter into prearranged agreements with the Lackawanna County Tax Claim Bureau to purchase tax-delinquent properties and approved three resolutions covering acquisition, conveyance and audit services.

The action follows the county commissioners’ recent passage of an ordinance, identified at the meeting as Act 48 of 2024, that establishes a county demolition and rehabilitation fund and directs the Lackawanna County Tax Claim Bureau to collect a $250 fee from every purchase of real property at tax sale or mortgage foreclosure sale. The ordinance becomes effective roughly 90 days after passage, which board members said would be around June 5, and the land bank was named to administer the new fund.

Board members approved a motion authorizing the land bank to enter into agreements with the Tax Claim Bureau to purchase certain tax-delinquent properties as determined by the municipality where they are located. The motion, as read at the meeting, said the list and descriptions of properties would be emailed to the board for review and any agreements would be ratified at the next land bank meeting. The motion passed on a voice vote.

The board also approved three resolutions by voice vote: - Resolution 25-004: approving acquisition of additional property from the tax claim office repository list of unsold property (approved) - Resolution 25-005: approving conveyance of certain land bank-owned property under the property purchase program (approved) - Resolution 25-006: approving a professional services agreement and execution of an engagement letter for audit services for the year ending Dec. 31, 2024 (approved)

On the audit engagement, a staff member identified as Ralph told the board he contacted local certified public accountants after their previous auditor stopped performing audits. Ralph said he reached Joe Garvey at Barbetti McHale, and Garvey submitted an engagement letter to perform the audit for $2,000.

Board staff reported a countywide land bank conveyance total of 386 properties to date, with the City of Scranton accounting for 272 conveyed properties and two pending conveyances; three properties were listed to be acted on by the land bank at this meeting. Staff gave neighborhood breakdowns including West Scranton (80 conveyed), South Scranton (67), Greenridge (23) and East Scranton (19). Board staff described a variety of conveyances to municipalities and nonprofit organizations.

The advisory committee reviewed three purchase applications recommended for approval at the meeting: - 1613 Crown Avenue: purchaser Walter Deliman, doing business as WWD Real Estate LLC, submitted an offer of $500 and said he plans to build a two-family rental and combine the parcel with an adjacent lot previously approved by the board. - Grand Avenue (PIN provided at the meeting): purchaser Thomas Charge, of 200 Adams Avenue, Scranton, offered $500 and intends to hold the parcel as green space, with possible future home construction. - 422 New Street (parcel 14661010014): purchaser Melinda Perez, address provided in the application, offered $500 and said she owns the adjacent property and plans eventual single-family construction.

The advisory committee’s recommendation to proceed with those three sales was placed before the board and incorporated into Resolution 25-005, which passed.

Separately, the board received an update on blight-remediation staffing: Todd (identified at the meeting as a staff member) said NeighborWorks applied for an AmeriCorps NCCC team for spring and summer work; if approved, the county would likely host six to eight AmeriCorps members in May and June to help clear and maintain vacant land bank properties, primarily within Scranton and possibly Carbondale.

Board members also discussed an item that is routinely requested by property owners: whether the land bank should permit a purchaser to buy out the five-year retention requirement in the land bank’s program. Staff said current policy contains a five-year retention period and no buyout procedure; the board reviewed a Westmoreland County example that assesses a buyout fee based on fair market value and includes paying real estate taxes for the retention period as one option. No policy change was adopted; staff and board members said they would research options and return with potential amendments.

The board adjourned with its next scheduled meeting listed as April 9, 2025, at 11 a.m.