NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 31, 2019
CONTACT: Julie Marinucci, Deputy Director, St. Louis County Land & Minerals
218-742-9885
County Board approves pilot program for online auction of tax forfeited properties.
Starting next week, the public will have a new option for purchasing tax forfeited properties in St. Louis County - an online auction site. The St. Louis County Board in November approved a pilot program to offer tax forfeited properties for sale in this manner. The first online auction is expected to begin January 6, and can be found at www.publicsurplus.com.
Until now, the County has offered three live oral auctions each year of state tax forfeited properties. Any properties not purchased at auction are then available for purchase over the counter on a first come first served basis through the Land and Minerals Department. The goal of these sales is to return these properties to private ownership, encourage economic development and expand the property tax base.
A recent change in state statute provides greater flexibility and efficiency in public land sale procedures.
Through this pilot program, the County will re-offer properties that were on the County’s Available Lands List through an online auction. These are properties that have already been offered for sale at public auction and have received all necessary approvals to be sold.
The online auction will run continuously until the properties are sold, placed back on the available list, or withdrawn from sale. The properties will first be offered at a fair market value, but prices may automatically be adjusted if they remain unsold after a predetermined time frame.
Eligibility requirements for someone to participate in the online auction are the same as for someone wanting to bid at the traditional live oral auctions. Bidders cannot have any delinquent property taxes on property they already own in St. Louis County. People who have delinquent property taxes must first pay what they owe before purchasing from the auction.
To learn more, visit stlouiscountymn.gov/landsales.
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