A delinquent property tax sale will take place at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Allen County Courthouse.
Property owners have until the day of the sale to settle their accounts and keep their property, but must pay additional penalties and fees.
Several have already done so, with about 57 properties remaining on the auction list.
The county started with a list of 225 parcels and have since collected about $700,000. The goal of the tax sale is to either bring taxes current, or sell the property to someone who will pay the taxes owed. Often, parcels that are sold in tax sales are dilapidated properties or vacant lots. Some may be oddly shaped or in a flood plain.
Potential buyers will face a vetting process. They cannot purchase property if related to the owner, and cannot purchase property if they also have delinquent property taxes. They’ll receive a “tax deed” and need to continue to research the deed to make sure there are no other obligations on the property.
Buyers will need to pay with either a cashier’s check, cash or money order. No personal checks are accepted.
It will take about 60 days after the auction to finalize the sale.
The county typically has a tax sale every two or three years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed that process a few years.
