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Candia selectmen terminate plan to sell 17 'unknown' tax parcels after resident objections
Summary
After a presentation on title risks and revenue expectations, the Candia Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to end plans to sell 17 parcels listed with unknown ownership; the move follows resident pleas to retain land and an auction firm's explanation of the title-due-diligence process.
Candia's Board of Selectmen voted unanimously April 13 to terminate a process to sell 17 parcels that town records list as having unknown ownership, following a presentation on title risks and multiple resident objections.
Weston Sager, co-owner of NH Tax Deed Property Auctions, told the board the parcels appear in the town's Avitar assessment search as having unknown owners and that the state's case law (including Kakris v. Montbleau, he said) requires careful title due diligence before taking property by tax deed or selling it. Sager said the review can be time-consuming and that the firm structures its fees so the town incurs no upfront cost, receiving a capped fee'about 10% of any sale proceeds.
Residents who spoke during public comment urged the town to keep the parcels, arguing they could provide long-term public benefit and warning that some lots provide access to the old pond. After the discussion Selectman Boyd Chivers moved to terminate the auction engagement with NH Tax Deed Property Auctions; Selectman Susan Young seconded and the motion carried 5-0.
The board and presenters also discussed the town's likely limited near-term revenue from such sales. Sager noted that in a recent fall auction, the town received only tax proceeds while other funds passed to prior owners, a result that had surprised some voters. Sager recommended continuing outreach to abutters and conducting title searches before advancing any tax-deed process, since some parcels labeled 'unknown' may in fact have private owners or be subject to restrictions such as conservation easements.
Chair Brien Brock and other members acknowledged the value of updating town records and eliminating ambiguities in ownership but also noted residents' concerns about preserving land. The board noted a 1963 warrant article gives authority under RSA 41:14-a to sell town property without a separate voter authorization but said the unknown-owner issue requires further investigation before any future action.
Next steps: the board ended the current engagement with the auction firm and signaled interest in investigating titles and abutter records, while preserving the option to revisit particular parcels after research is completed.
