County tax sale collects $1.1 million

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Allen County's annual sale of tax-delinquent properties recovered almost twice as much overdue cash as last year's.

County Treasurer Sue Orth said 436 of the 786 properties in Thursday's sale were sold, collecting about $1.1 million of the $1.7 million of the property taxes owed. Last year, 350 of 632 available properties sold, recovering nearly $664,000 in taxes.

The property attracting the highest bid was the Pine Ridge Racquet Club at 12124 Lima Road, which sold for $660,000, according to Orth.

Taxes on properties in this year's sale had not been paid since at least spring of last year. Originally, 4,978 properties were eligible for the sale, but after notifications were sent to owners that number had been reduced to 1,407 properties in August.

Bidders at the sale can claim any property by paying at least the taxes owed plus about $440 to cover the county's costs. The original owner then has up to a year to reclaim the property by repaying the taxes and penalties, some of which go to the bidder. Taxes collected are distributed to governments throughout Allen County.

Orth said the racquet club was purchased by the New Jersey-based Nebraska Alliance Realty.

kleininger@news-sentinel.com