NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 6, 2016
CONTACT: Jason Meyer, Land & Minerals Deputy Director
218-726-2606
Lakeshore properties, other tax forfeited parcels available by auction
St. Louis County is holding its second public auction of the year of tax forfeited properties, and this time is offering for sale nearly 60 properties, including 23 water front properties that formerly had been part of the lakeshore lease program. The tax forfeited properties auction will be held on Thursday, June 9, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Depot, 506 West Michigan Street in Duluth.
The auction features properties from throughout the county, including residential buildings, commercial properties, rural wooded acreage, and city lots where blighted buildings have been removed. There's even a condominium adjacent to Giants Ridge. A catalog with photos, maps and details about each property, including the starting bid price, is available online to view or download at stlouiscountymn.gov/land, or by calling (218) 726-2606. For convenience on the day of the auction, pre-registration is encouraged but not required. Registration can be done online, or by filling out a form that is included in the catalog.
Waterfront properties from the lakeshore lease program are available on Little Stone, Elbow, Linwood and Long lakes, among others. The minimum bid for each property is the appraised value of the land. However, as a condition of sale, the purchaser also is required to pay for any improvements such as a cabin or other structure, plus appraisal and survey costs.
Any tax forfeited properties not sold at the auction will be available for purchase on a first come first served basis through the Land and Minerals Department. This now includes unsold lakeshore properties, thanks to a change in state statute made during the 2016 legislative session.
Within St. Louis County, there are nearly 900,000 acres of tax forfeited properties, which the county’s Land and Minerals Department is responsible for managing. Most of the land is maintained for forest management, but for smaller parcels located within cities and townships, the county tries to sell them as a means to encourage development and increase the property tax base. An additional auction will take place on October 13 at the Miners Memorial Building in Virginia.
To learn more about the June land sale, view parcels available for purchase at any time, or sign up to be notified about future sales, visit stlouiscountymn.gov/land or call (218) 726-2606.
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 This 2.91 acre property includes 250 feet of frontage on the Whiteface Reservoir in Makinen. Starting bid for the land is $90,000, with an additional $33,800 to purchase a cabin on the property. It's one of 23 waterfront properties from St. Louis County's former shoreland lease program that is now available for purchase at auction on June 9.
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