Why Does Gene Cline get to buy 7 acres of prime real estate for $5K + back taxes and I don't?

David

Opinions are my own...
PREMO Member
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: DISPOSITION OF REAL PROPERTY

Pursuant to $9-505(e) of the Local Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Commissioners of St. Mary's County will meet in the main Meeting room of the Chesapeake Building located at 41770 Baldridge Street, Leonardtown, Maryland, on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at 9:15 a.m. to consider the disposition of 7.264 acres of land, more or less, to Gene Cline for the consideration of $5,000, plus the outstanding taxes due. The subject property is the site of the San Souci swimming pool parcel located in the San Souci Neighborhood.

Citizens are encouraged to attend and participate in the public hearing.

Note that as a result of the evidence and comments made at the public hearing, amendments may be made to the proposed documents.

Written comments, questions and suggestions may be submitted on or before March 6, 2018, to: Commissioners of St. Mary's County, P.O. Box 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650.

Copies of the proposed documents are available in the County Attorney's Office, 41770 Baldridge Street, Leonardtown, Maryland and at www.stmarysmd.com.

Any reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities should be requested by contacting the St. Mary's County Public Information Officer at (301) 475-4200, *1342.

COMMISSIONERS OF ST. MARY'S COUNTY
By: David A. Weiskopf, Acting County Attorney

I wish they would provide some background when they send these notices out so people understand what is the issue. Wouldn't this be auctioned to the highest bidder? If not, why not. If he did win it at auction (and the auction was adequately advertised), why does there have to be a public hearing?
 

GregV814

Well-Known Member
because he has $5,000.00 and paid back taxes....those things are advertised in newspapers that are not normally read by millennial whiners...
 

BlueOx77

New Member

glhs837

Power with Control

BlueOx77

New Member
They can dispose of public property, so long as a public hearing is held. The commissioners usually transfer unwanted property to other government entities. They don't often sell land to individuals. This place in San Souci isn't exactly prime real estate though and is actually a liability to county government.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
They can dispose of public property, so long as a public hearing is held. The commissioners usually transfer unwanted property to other government entities. They don't often sell land to individuals. This place in San Souci isn't exactly prime real estate though and is actually a liability to county government.

Duh, that's the part I was missing, that the county owns this parcel. But that pool parcel doesnt appear to be seven acres.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.2843879,-76.4872248,105m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en
 

Midnightrider

Well-Known Member
The county probably owns the parcel because they foreclosed on a tax lien.

A lot of counties have ‘over the counter’ sales for properties they take in on tax foreclosure but that don’t sell at auction. This could be a situation like that. They take sealed bids and then still have to vote on the final sale.
 
Huh?

They can dispose of public property, so long as a public hearing is held. The commissioners usually transfer unwanted property to other government entities. They don't often sell land to individuals. This place in San Souci isn't exactly prime real estate though and is actually a liability to county government.

Why would there be back taxes on a piece of property owned by the county? There's something that has to be going on with this property that we don't know about.
 

BernieP

Resident PIA
Why would there be back taxes on a piece of property owned by the county? There's something that has to be going on with this property that we don't know about.

The county probably owns the parcel because they foreclosed on a tax lien.

Hence the back taxes. I scratched my head at first, but dah, foreclosure for back taxes and then sell to recoup their money.
It's probably been abandoned for years, and the community association or developer just let it go.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
Hence the back taxes. I scratched my head at first, but dah, foreclosure for back taxes and then sell to recoup their money.
It's probably been abandoned for years, and the community association or developer just let it go.

Also contains an abandoned pool that requires tearing down and is located in an area of the county that has declined quite a bit. 7k + taxes may well be an accurate price for that parcel.
Still puzzled about the 7 acres. I suspect this parcel contains other land that was owned by the HOA. Our HOA owned 8 acres of 'greenspace' that had pemanent easements on it and had to be set aside by the developer as part of the forest conservation plan.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
Why would there be back taxes on a piece of property owned by the county? There's something that has to be going on with this property that we don't know about.

If you don't pay property tax, the county puts a lien on your property. Eventually they foreclose on the lien and take title to the parcel. When the county sells those tax properties, the price is often expressed as 'x dollars plus outstanding taxes'. They will tell you what those taxes are and you price it into your bid. These are not taxes accrued while the county owned it. These are taxes the original owner (in this case the HOA or developer) got behind on.

With tax sales it is important to make sure the original owner doesn't have a 'right of redemption'. In some tax sale situations the original owner can show up with a check for taxes and interest and reverse the entire foreclosure process. Get a real estate attorney familiar with tax lien sales and foreclosures before you buy a property 'for back taxes'. Shouldnt be an issue if the county sells it at the back end, but you never know.
 
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awpitt

Main Streeter
This is the old pool at San Succi. It was originally owned by the HOA which has since gone defunct. That is why the county currently owns it. Not only does the buy have to pay to buy the property, he has to pay the back taxes and he has to pay to have the pool removed.
 

Merlin99

Visualize whirled peas
PREMO Member
This is the old pool at San Succi. It was originally owned by the HOA which has since gone defunct. That is why the county currently owns it. Not only does the buy have to pay to buy the property, he has to pay the back taxes and he has to pay to have the pool removed.

Why not leave it and call it the basement/ crawlspace?
 
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