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Attorney proposes reoffering two tax-trust properties at reduced prices
Summary
An attorney advising the county recommended reoffering two tax-trust parcels at substantially lower prices after initial tax-sale bids failed; commissioners approved giving the attorney authority to set reduced sale prices to bring the properties back onto the tax rolls.
An attorney for the county’s tax-sale process told Limestone County commissioners that two trust properties previously offered at full-tax amounts did not sell and should be reoffered at reduced prices to ensure the county can recover unpaid taxes.
The presenter, introduced to commissioners as an attorney with the Bragg Allen firm, said the typical practice on a first reoffer is to list a property for about half the original asking price. He said one property, described as a former church building, appears to be “severely overvalued” by the appraisal district and may be offered for less than half to encourage a sale.
Why it matters: If the county does not sell a trust property at the November sale, the property remains tax-exempt for the following year, delaying any tax recovery. The attorney said the county’s objective is to put the parcels back on the tax roll rather than leave them exempt.
The presenter provided valuation figures during discussion: one parcel had been offered previously for $59,000; the appraisal district listed the improvement at about $251,000 and land at roughly $6,440. He said the other parcel—described as a vacant lot in a town listed in the record—would be reoffered at about half the original offer (between $3,000 and $4,000).
After the presentation and brief questions from commissioners about appraisal figures and sale procedure, a commissioner moved to permit the county to sell the two trust properties at reduced prices as recommended; another commissioner seconded the motion. The motion passed on a voice vote. No individual vote tallies were recorded in the transcript.
The county’s attorney noted that purchasers should account for the work required to restore or maintain the properties in addition to the purchase price. The commission’s approval gives the attorney authority to set the final reoffer amounts within the discussed ranges.
The commission moved on to other business after approving the sale authorization.
