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PARKERSBURG -- The county is selling properties it has cleaned and now owns to get them back on the county tax rolls.
Wood County Compliance Officer Sarah Robinson talked to the Wood County Commission Monday about eight properties.
From time to time, people contact the commission and Robinson about properties that have fallen into disrepair or have a large amount of trash or debris collecting on it. The county works with property owners to get the property cleaned. In some cases, the property owners don't have the resources to get the properties cleaned, so they deed them over to the county and the county cleans them. That has included removing trash and debris and tearing down structures no longer fit for human habitation.
The properties included in the list Robinson presented include a lot on Cherry St., Lake Washington Heights Addition, in the Lubeck area where it is not known yet exactly how much was incurred to clean the property up; 720 Hill St. in Parkersburg which cost $7,061.09 to clean up; 1003 N. Power Ave. in Parkersburg, which cost $5,379.68; 643 Hill St., Parkersburg which cost $9,913.32; 77 Coolidge St. in Parkersburg which cost $7,754.27; 109 Crawford St. in Parkersburg,which cost $5,598.50; 111 Crawford St. in Parkersburg which cost $5,949.50; and 66 Blaze Run Rd in Walker which cost $10,144.95.
The property at 720 Hill St. was sold at a tax sale and has been deeded to a new property owner while it was being cleaned.
The original owners of 1003 N. Power Ave. have expressed interest in buying it back from the county.
Officials said the remaining properties could be sold at public auction.
Officials discussed if the minimum bids should be for what the county has put into the properties to clean them up, but that had been done in the past. County Administrator Marty Seufer said some of the properties have been put up for sale and have not sold.
Commissioner Jimmy Colombo said they might have to accept a lesser amount if they want the properties sold.
Commissioner Robert Tebay suggested contacting the property owners next to these properties, through letters, to see if they would be interested in bidding on the properties.
"We need to get them back on the tax rolls if we can," Tebay said.
Officials asked what affect a lower price would have on an assessed value. Wood County Clerk Mark Rhodes said the assessor's office would probable not use that price as a sale price because of the nature of the sale.
The property could still be assessed for more than the sale price based on laws used to assess property, officials said.
The commission agreed to sell the properties for what they can get for them. Officials believe they can get something for them and having them back on the tax rolls is preferable.
"Let's get them off our books," Commission President Blair Couch said.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com