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Albert Lea asks county for tax‑forfeited lots for housing redevelopment; Freeborn board agrees to sell for taxes owed
Summary
City Manager Ian Riggs told the Freeborn County Board the city wants three tax‑forfeited parcels for housing redevelopment and asked for a symbolic $1 transfer; commissioners approved selling the parcels for the taxes owed (roughly $500 per parcel) after discussion about Tyler v. Hennepin surplus rules and the city’s redevelopment costs.
The Freeborn County Board heard a request from the City of Albert Lea to transfer three tax‑forfeited parcels to the city for redevelopment and voted to sell the parcels for the county and school taxes owed.
Auditor/Treasurer staff explained the options for handling tax‑forfeited property and noted that, because the parcels failed to sell at market and minimum bid sales, the local board must decide whether to transfer them to the city (at a dollar amount set by the board) or to charge the county and school taxes due. County staff described one parcel as already torn down and others either recently demolished or scheduled for demolition in spring.
Ian Riggs, city manager of Albert Lea, told commissioners the city’s request for a symbolic $1 transfer is largely symbolic: the city expects to invest tens of thousands of dollars on demolition and site work and likely to lose money upfront. Riggs said the city set $4,000 as a fair‑market fallback if its redevelopment plan fails, but emphasized the city is asking for collaboration to return the lots to productive use and to get them back on the tax rolls.
Commissioners discussed legal and fiscal constraints stemming from Tyler v. Hennepin (handling of surplus) and whether surplus would be an issue; staff said surplus likely would not be a concern because planned redevelopment means the parcels will not be resold immediately at a profit. Some commissioners favored recouping county and school taxes; others supported negotiating a small nominal price to show cooperation. The board moved and approved a resolution to sell the properties for the taxes owed and scheduled a public hearing on abatement for new construction.
The resolution directs staff to proceed with the sale terms discussed and to coordinate with the city; the board expects the redevelopment to return the parcels to the tax rolls over time.
