Special Luzerne County tax sale yields $311,383

Bidders purchased nine properties for a total of $311,383 at Luzerne County’s recent special delinquent tax auction, according to county tax-claim operator Elite Revenue Solutions LLC.

That total includes realty transfer tax, and the proceeds will be disbursed to the county, other applicable taxing bodies, and municipal lien holders.

Elite started holding special sales in addition to annual auctions to more quickly address delinquencies. The listed properties belonged to owners who defaulted on payment plans in 2025, the company said.

Officially called an “upset” sale, the first-stage auction set minimum bids at the amount of delinquent real estate taxes and municipal liens owed. Bidders also must accept responsibility for any outstanding mortgages and non-municipal liens attached to their purchases in upset auctions.

Fifteen properties were available to bidders.

According to a report from Elite:

• Five properties sold for minimum bids ranging from $1,411 to $4,105.

• Six were not sold, which means they will advance to a free-and-clear “judicial” sale in which delinquent taxes and liens are removed, and bids are set to only cover costs.

• Four sold above the minimum due to competitive bidding. Bidder Evelyn De Jesus, of Lodi, New Jersey, paid the highest price — $89,000 — for a property on West Hollenback Street in Wilkes-Barre in which bidding had started at $17,011, it said.

Properties become eligible for upset auction if the owners owe taxes dating back two years.

The county’s main annual free-and-clear auction is scheduled for Aug. 6, followed by the primary annual upset sale on Sept. 24.

Information on sales and the bidding process is posted on Elite Revenue’s site at luzernecountytaxclaim.com.

Correctional committee

County Council’s Correctional Services Committee will meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

The agenda includes a state-of-the-prison update by Acting Correctional Services Division Head Stanley Fiedorczyk and discussions about the prison system vehicle fleet and possible grants that may be pursued.

Chaired by Councilman Steve Coslett, the committee first met last month. Council Chairman Jimmy Sabatino also serves on the committee along with Councilwoman LeeAnn McDermott, the committee’s vice chair.

Instructions for the remote attendance option will be posted in council’s online public meetings section at luzernecounty.org.

Act 13

Council’s Act 13 Committee will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday in the courthouse.

This committee, which discusses spending of the county’s natural-gas recreation funding, has not held a meeting since January 2025, the county website says.

Council members Patty Krushnowski, Coslett and Harry Haas were appointed to serve on the committee earlier this year. Krushnowski is committee chair, while Coslett serves as vice chair.

The remote attendance link is at luzernecounty.org.

Legal settlements

A council majority voted to settle one pending lawsuit last week, but another one failed to secure majority passage.

The $75,000 settlement that passed will close out litigation Jerome Williamson filed against the county in federal court.

Williamson was incarcerated at the county prison in September 2023 pending resolution of a criminal matter and asserted he was physically injured due to alleged excessive use of force by a corrections officer, council’s agenda said.

Seven of 11 council members approved the settlement, with no votes from McDermott, Denise Williams, Chris Belles, and Coslett.

The settlement that did not pass would have paid $47,000 to end litigation Frank Lombardo filed against the county in federal court.

While incarcerated at the county prison in July 2021, Lombardo argued he sustained physical injuries caused by alleged excessive use of force by a county-contracted nurse and/or corrections officers, the agenda said.

Three council members said they had to abstain from the vote. Councilman John Lombardo said he has a relationship with the plaintiff. Councilwoman Joanna Bryn Smith, an attorney, said she represented the plaintiff in the past. Coslett, a retired county corrections officer, said he was involved in the alleged incident.

McDermott, Williams, Belles and Haas voted no, leaving only four votes in support of the settlement — Sabatino, Vice Chairwoman Brittany Stephenson, Dawn Simmons, and Krushnowski.

As a result, the matter will proceed to adjudication in court, officials said.

Real estate

Council unanimously approved the hiring of Pittston-based Jonathan J. Nelson Real Estate to sell a vacant property in Wilkes-Barre that previously housed county community development.

County Council had concluded a broker listing would reach more buyers for the county’s three-story brick structure at 54 W. Union St.

The county publicly sought proposals from brokers last December, and the administration selected Jonathan J. Nelson because it offered the lowest commission price, the agenda said. Its proposal was 4% of the purchase price, with 2% of that commission going to the selling agent and 2% to the buyer’s agent, the county said.

A July 2025 appraisal concluded the property’s market value is $373,000.

White Haven Center

Council also unanimously approved a request to get involved in deciding future plans for the state-owned White Haven Center.

A former residential care facility for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the 23-building White Haven Center on nearly 183 acres off Interstate 80 in Foster Township has been vacant since 2023. The state has no use for the property and must spend approximately $4 million annually to maintain the complex and prevent further deterioration until ownership is transferred to another entity.

State officials reached out and asked the county to assist in determining the property’s next use.

The county will apply for expertise from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philadelphia, a nonprofit research and education organization that works to solve community and real estate challenges.

The application process will cost $20,000, and County Manager Romilda Crocamo has said she is optimistic the county will receive reimbursement.