Erie City Council may consider setting ground rules for the sale of tax-delinquent properties to out-of-state buyers.
Council recently rejected a Las Vegas company’s bids to buy seven local properties in a repository sale by the Erie County Tax Claim Bureau.
“There’s been an interest by the two other taxing bodies that have a say in this to reconvene to look at these properties as a whole because this is a concern that has been brought up by county councilors and also by city school board directors too,” City Council President Tyler Titus said during a caucus before the vote.
“So I think when we go into the new year this will be an opportunity for us to get the three taxing bodies together to just revisit this process in general.”
Erie City Council, Erie County Council and the Erie School Board must agree to sell any properties in the city offered in a repository sale.
City Council concerns
A repository sale is the final step in a process to sell properties to recoup taxes owed. Properties offered in a repository sale failed to sell in previous auctions by the Erie County Tax Claim Bureau.
Government and community organizations offer information on housing resources during a town hall meeting at East Middle School on Sept. 22.
In the most recent repository sale, the would-be buyer offered the minimum bid of $250 for each of seven Erie properties. City Council unanimously rejected the bids on Oct. 7.
“It always makes me sick to see properties leave local control for $250 a pop,” Councilman Andre Horton said in a caucus discussion in September. Council at that time tabled action on the property sales pending more information.
“I always have an issue when out-of-state purchasers come in wanting to buy a large number of our blighted properties or vacant lots for sale, for the simple fact that if we went to the neighbors, would the neighbors buy it,” Councilwoman Jasmine Flores said before the October vote.
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“We in the city have to do a little bit more footwork to preserve the land we have,” Flores said. “We need to do a little better letting neighbors know that, hey, this is available and if you want to buy it to extend your property or have a garden in your neighborhood, this is the process.”
The city might be able to do more to help owners keep their properties, Horton said. “It would be my choice to be able to help if there’s a way, to put them in position, especially if they’ve been there a while, to retain their homes.”
The properties and offers
The properties considered for sale include a home in the 400 block of East 10th Street and lots in the 1600 block of Chestnut Street and on East 19th, 21st, 22nd and 26th streets.
Taxes have been owed on each of the properties since at least 2003, according to Erie County property records.
CJ Ferrari LLC of Las Vegas, doing business as Ferrari Capital Partners, submitted the bids for the properties. According to its website, the company tracks tax delinquency sales nationwide, analyzes properties with AI assistance, and buys low-priced properties with investor-provided capital. Profits are split with the investor when the properties are resold.
Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie City Council may look at rules for selling delinquent properties