Tax sale generates more than $430K

WEST MEAD TOWNSHIP — The Crawford County Tax Claim Bureau’s annual public auction of property with unpaid real estate taxes from three years ago or longer generated more than $430,000 on Friday.

There were 92 properties on the sale list with 43 of them sold by the bureau for a total of $438,200.59, Christine Krzysiak, the bureau’s director, said. There were 124 pre-registered bidders, but only 75 appeared for Friday’s sale, held in Home Show Building 1 at the Crawford County Fairgrounds in West Mead Township, Krzysiak said.

The sale raised 66 percent more money than the 2023 sale. The bureau generated $262,865.78 in 2023 as only 33 out of 97 properties taken to sale were sold.

However, this year’s sale wasn’t a record dollar amount.

In 2022, 44 out of 93 properties were sold by the bureau for a total of $608,843.25. In 2021, the sale had 37 out of 82 parcels sell for a total of $367,225.69.

The bureau sells each property individually via an auction with the minimum bid the tax amount owed on the parcel, Krzysiak said.

Buyers purchase a property “as is,” meaning they assume any mortgages and other financial encumbrances on the property, according to Krzysiak.

Money from each property sale is applied toward the overdue county, municipal and school district real estate taxes on the particular property, she said.

If a property sells for more than what is owed in back taxes, any excess amount is applied toward current taxes on the property and then toward municipal liens.

If any dollar amount remains after satisfaction of all property taxes and all liens, the money then goes to the property’s listed owner at the time of the sale.

The bureau now will send out letters to all the delinquent property owners whose properties were listed for sale Friday.

Around mid-October, the bureau will petition Crawford County Court of Common Pleas to finalize this year’s sales, according to Krzysiak.

However, the owners whose properties were sold do have 30 days to file an exception with county court.

If no exception is filed on a property, a property deed will be sent to the new owner in approximately early December.

All the unsold properties from Friday’s sale now become county held and are the fiduciary responsibility of the bureau, Krzysiak said.

Once this year’s sale is considered final, typically in mid-December, the bureau may negotiate with individuals for a private sale of the unsold properties on the bureau’s list.

The bureau also may petition county court for a judicial sale of the properties that didn’t sell.

Under a judicial sale, all encumbrances, including liens and mortgages, except federal liens, are removed via approval of county court. The property then is sold free and clear to the highest bidder on an “as is” basis.