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St. Albans schedules auction of El Rancho property to satisfy unpaid code fines, mayor says
Summary
Mayor Scott James said an auction will be held at the courthouse to recover unpaid fines and that if bids do not cover the debt the property will become city property, opening redevelopment options.
Mayor Scott James said the city will hold a courthouse auction for the El Rancho property after the owner failed to bring the building up to code.
"This Wednesday, there's going to be... an auction," James said, describing a long enforcement history. He said the starting bid will be the amount owed to the city in fines and interest accrued over the years; if no bidder meets that amount, the property would become city property.
Why it matters: The outcome of the auction could return a vacant or code‑deficient property to the city, enabling potential redevelopment or other city uses. The mayor said the city had tried repeated engagement with the previous owner before pursuing fines and auction procedures.
Context and next steps - The owner was fined repeatedly for code violations (electrical and other issues) and did not undertake required repairs, according to the mayor. - If the auction does not attract sufficient bids, St. Albans will take ownership and then have options for reuse; the mayor noted an adjacent site is developing a new flea market, which could influence future uses.
Ending No buyer outcome was reported on the podcast. Mayor James described the auction as the next step after unsuccessful attempts to secure voluntary compliance and repairs.
