NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 12. 2020
MEDIA CONTACT:
Julie Marinucci, Deputy Director
Land and Minerals Department
218-742-9898
Online Tax Forfeited Land Auction results in nearly $900,000 in sales
St. Louis County's latest Tax Forfeited Land Auction, which was held completely online due to public health precautions related to COVID-19, far surpassed all expectations with 72% of properties sold for a total of $896,000. The online auction began May 28 and closed yesterday, June 11, with 48 of 66 properties selling. Additionally, one property from the county's former Lakeshore Lease Program also sold.
This was the first time the St. Louis County Land and Minerals Department has offered a large scale online auction of tax forfeited properties. Earlier this year, the county held a smaller online auction as part of a pilot program, featuring properties that had previously been offered for sale but remained unsold from an earlier live auction.
"We went into this sale with so many unknowns," said Julie Marinucci, Deputy Director of St. Louis County Land and Minerals. "This was our first full offering online. Add in the uncertainty in the economy, and it was anybody's guess how this would turn out. So to see these results, which are better than we see in our traditional in-person, live auctions, is simply amazing. And it's good news for all St. Louis County taxpayers because with these properties being returned to private ownership, we've just increased the County's property tax base by that much more."
Properties that were not purchased at the auction are available for sale on a first come, first served basis through the St. Louis County Land and Minerals Department until sold or put back on the online auction. There are nearly 200 properties currently available for sale. The list of those properties, along with results from this latest auction, can be found online at stlouiscountymn.gov/landsales.
St. Louis County is scheduled to offer one more tax forfeited property auction in October. A decision will be made closer to the date on whether it is safe to return to a traditional live auction format, or to again offer properties via online auction.
Within St. Louis County there are nearly 900,000 acres of tax forfeited land, which the County's Land and Minerals Department is responsible for managing. Most of the land is maintained for forest management, however, the County is working to sell parcels that are not planned for management as a way to encourage development and increase the property tax base.
For more information about tax forfeited land sales, or to subscribe to receive email notifications about updates and future sales, visit stlouiscountymn.gov/landsales or call the Land and Minerals Department at (218) 726-2606.
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