St. Lawrence residents paying taxes
CANTON — St. Lawrence County will sell about the same number of parcels it has in past years at its Oct. 3 tax-delinquent property auction despite difficult economic times facing many homeowners.
"There is not a spike in the amount of property we're selling, which is intriguing," County Treasurer Robert O. McNeil said. "People are really concentrating on essentials — mortgages, taxes, insurance. We have a lot of people paying delinquent taxes on contracts. That's not to say we won't see a spike in future years, but we haven't yet."
Property owners in danger of tax foreclosure can forge a contract with the treasurer's office to pay their back taxes, provided they can pay 25 percent of what they owe at signing.
"It's a safety valve for people who have lost their jobs and are having trouble paying," Mr. McNeil said.
He said there are now about 130 properties listed for auction, down from 180 when the list was printed last month. He said he expects about 100 properties will be auctioned. The number has been reduced as homeowners pay delinquent tax bills. Properties will be spared from auction if a homeowner pays what's owed by Oct. 2.
Lawmakers on Monday agreed to pull two parcels from the auction and sell them for $1 to the towns of Piercefield and Norfolk. They are a vacant lot on Route 3 next to the Piercefield Town Hall and a West Main Street property next to the Norfolk Town Hall. The outstanding taxes on these properties total $2,691.16.
Legislators also agreed to sell a vacant building at 33 Market St. to the town of Potsdam for $77,987.78, representing the taxes owed.
In past years, the auction has been a moneymaker for the county. A $323,101 profit resulted from the 2007 auction, and last year's auction, in which only 50 properties were sold, netted $114,048.
Mr. McNeil said it's difficult to predict whether the county will turn a profit this year, but it's rare that a property can't be sold.
"I can't remember that happening. We've sold swampy areas that the previous owner just didn't want," he said.
The auction will take place at the Lockwood Arena, West River Street, Ogdensburg, at 10 a.m. Registration begins at 9 a.m.
A list of properties to be auctioned is online under the "Hot News and Current Events" section. Auction booklets are available for $10 at the treasurer's office, or $12 if obtained by mail.
ON THE NET
St. Lawrence County:
www.co.st-lawrence.ny.us/
