NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 9, 2026
CONTACT: Dana Kazel, Communications Manager
218-725-5049 (office) • 218-591-2219 (cell)
Tax Forfeited Land Auction exceeds $2 million in sales; unsold parcels now available on a first come basis
St. Louis County's most recent tax-forfeited land auction resulted in 47 tracts of state tax-forfeited land sold back into private ownership at a value of more than $2.1 million. The auction, which closed on November 4, included tax-forfeited houses, municipal lots, and larger rural acreage across the County.
The land auction is in-line with a County Board resolution passed earlier this year that emphasized tax relief by returning certain state tax-forfeited land to private ownership. The County Board directed the Land and Minerals Department to identify lands suitable for sale, including larger acreage rural properties having access to infrastructure and in the vicinity of service corridors.
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 sustainable resource management and public recreation opportunities, however, the County is working to identify and sell parcels that are better aimed at private ownership and economic development as a way to increase the property tax base.
According to Land and Minerals Director, Jason Meyer, “We have a large state tax-forfeited land base which provides multiple benefits such as public land recreation opportunities, forest products vital to our timber industry, gravel, critical wildlife habitat, clean watersheds, and mineral potential. Certain portions of this land base can also provide economic opportunity and tax relief by returning some lands back to private ownership. We are fortunate to have sufficient lands to provide this suite of benefits to the people of St. Louis County.”
Unsold properties are available for purchase on a first come, first served basis through the St. Louis County Land and Minerals Department until sold or put back on auction. More information on those properties, along with results from this latest auction, and information on future land sale auctions can be found online at: stlouiscountymn.gov/landsales or by calling the Land and Minerals department at (218) 726-2606.
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