Monday is big tax sale day

About 675 parcels of land are heading to the auction block Monday for the county’s annual delinquent tax land sale. The outstanding taxes total about $350,000 for properties delinquent three or more years.

Bidding will start at the tax bill for each property, including interest and penalties. There is no cap on bids. Payment is due at the sale.

Buyers of first and second-year sales (three and four years delinquent taxes respectively) must give the original land owner and anyone with an interest in the property a year to redeem it. For third-year sales, the time frame is 90 days.

To redeem a property, the tax bill must be paid in full plus an 8 percent fee, which goes to the buyer of the county’s note.

If the land is redeemed, the buyer’s money is returned plus 10 percent annual simple interest. Otherwise, a title search must be done and the original owner and any lien holders notified the land is about to be transferred, if not redeemed. The title search is the buyer’s responsibility.

The available properties have been published in the Daily Journal. An up-to-date listing is also posted in the County Collector’s office on the first floor of the annex. As parcels are paid off, they are crossed off the list and are no longer available.

County Collector Pam Williams said they will accept calls to check on the status of one or two properties. Those wanting to know about more properties than that should come into the office.

The sale will be at 10 a.m. at the St. Francois County Courthouse Annex in the back parking lot. The annex is located at 1 West Liberty.

Registration is required in order to bid on any properties. Buyers must sign an affidavit swearing they do not owe any delinquent taxes themselves and must bring a letter of credit.

The Collector’s office will open early for that, at 7:30 a.m. Lines can be quite long, Williams says, so buyers should plan to arrive by at least 8 a.m.

For more information about the sale, contact Williams at 756-2645.

Third-year properties that don’t find a buyer are turned over to the county trustee once the 90-day redemption period passes. The trustee will then attempt to find a buyer for the properties.

Williams advises those who are buying properties to carefully research the ones they are interested in prior to the sale.