Bidders purchased 146 properties in Luzerne County’s April 28 back-tax auction, recouping approximately $2.9 million, according to a final report from county tax-claim operator Elite Revenue Solutions LLC.
Most sold properties — 137 — were in the final-stage free-and-clear sale, when liens and back taxes are cleared. The remaining nine were sold in the first-stage upset sale, which requires bidders to pay all delinquent taxes and accept responsibility for any outstanding mortgages and liens.
Fourteen properties in the free-and-clear sold for more than $50,000, with competition driving up purchase prices far beyond bids that started below $5,000, records show.
The highest — $81,000 — was for a property at 40 S. Loveland Ave. in Kingston, followed by a $71,000 bid for a property at 69 W. Carey St. in Plains Township, records show. Coming in third was a $69,000 bid for a property at 219 Academy St. in Wilkes-Barre.
Elite representative Sean Shamany said more than 400 registered bidders attended the auction.
“We had a great deal of competitive bidding,” Shamany said. “There’s very high interest. That’s the real estate market today.”
Information on tax sales is posted at luzernecountytaxclaim.com.
Monday interviews
Council’s Authorities, Boards and Commissions (ABC) Committee is meeting at 6 p.m. Monday to interview citizen applicants for the county’s outside boards.
That will include additional applicants for a second Republican seat on the county election board that was recently vacated by Patrick Castellani.
Council Vice Chairman John Lombardo, who chairs the ABC Committee, has said three or four citizens applied for the election board seat and must be publicly interviewed to be added to the eligibility list for possible appointment. Also on the eligibility list are West Pittston resident Candice Chilek and Slocum Township resident Richard Nardone, a prior election board member.
The committee meeting is at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, with instructions for remote attendance to be posted under council’s online meetings link at luzernecounty.org.
Council plans to vote on filling the election board seat at its meeting Tuesday. Council’s voting meeting and work session starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the courthouse, with the remote attendance directions also posted at luzernecounty.org.
Real estate broker
In addition to filling the election board seat, voting agenda matters include adoption of a resolution to publicly seek proposals for real estate broker services related to the sale of a residential property the county now owns at 1200 Susquehanna Ave. in West Pittston.
The county recently acquired the house as part of its settlement of 2018 litigation filed by Richard and Kimberly Hazzouri. The Hazzouris argued they were wrongly prevented from participating in a borough flood buyout program funded by disaster recovery assistance channeled through the county community development office after record 2011 Susquehanna River flooding.
The litigation settlement awarded $650,000 for the property — $585,000 from the county community development office, $50,000 from the county’s insurance carrier and $15,000 from West Pittston’s insurance carrier. Since the settlement was separate from a flood buyout that would require demolition, the county is free to sell the property to recoup some of the money lost paying the settlement, officials have said.
According to Tuesday’s agenda, the proposal would ask licensed real estate brokers to submit their commission rate and any other related costs they may anticipate. Submissions would be due June 10.
While the agenda states the proposal is specifically for the West Pittston property, the document indicates the work could also include other county-owned properties that are available to sell, develop or lease.
The selected individual or firm would have to coordinate real estate appraisals, develop sales strategies, advertise and market the property, show the property to prospective buyers, analyze offers and coordinate transaction closings.
A one-year contract is proposed, with the option for two additional one-year renewals, it said.
Wednesday meeting
The county Election Board will meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the county courthouse.
Instructions to attend the meeting remotely are posted under council’s ABC meetings online section at luzernecounty.org.