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September 5, 2008

Essex County readies new tax sale

By LOHR McKINSTRY

ELIZABETHTOWN -- Essex County's next sale of properties seized for back taxes seems headed for a late October date.

On Tuesday, the county approved Haroff Auction-Realty of Schroon Lake to conduct the sale of about 275 properties.

But not before some members of the County Board of Supervisors questioned why the buyer's premium paid to Haroff by a purchaser was up to 11 percent of the selling price.

The contract the county signed with Haroff for the last tax sale is still in effect, Supervisor Roby Politi (R-North Elba) said, and the premium was lower.

"The original (contract) was at 10 percent; this is at 11 percent. I'm curious as to why it was done. It's the same contract."

County Attorney Daniel Manning III said the 10 percent is for cash payment only. He suggested changing the approval resolution to say "up to 11 percent."

Supervisor Thomas Scozzafava (R-Moriah) wanted to know why other auctioneers hadn't been asked for proposals to conduct the tax sale.

"Is this something we should be doing RFPs for? There's other auctioneers in the county."

Manning said Edward Haroff does an excellent job, which is why the county uses his services.

"There might be other auctioneers out there that could also do an excellent job," Scozzafava said.

Manning said the tax sale could be done through requests for proposals or by treating it as professional services, which doesn't require bidding.

"You can go either way. He (Haroff) goes the extra miles."

Manning said judicial sanction for the sale went to St. Lawrence County Judge Jerome Richards because Essex County Judge Richard Meyer had a conflict. When Meyer was county attorney, he had dealt with some of the same properties, Manning said.

"They're (St. Lawrence County Court) going to move this right along," Manning said. "They requested some (additional) paperwork."

He said the tax auction will be held sometime in October.

Scozzafava said he has a problem in Moriah with squatters living in buildings the county is taking for the sale. The buildings had been owned by absentee landlords who never paid the taxes, and the tenants stopped paying rent.

"I want to get those people out of there ASAP," Scozzafava said. "Can we get the sheriff in there and get those people out of there?"

Manning said the law requires a three-day notice to pay the rent, then the owner can petition the court for eviction. If they don't leave after that, the court can issue an order, he said.

"The sheriff can forcibly remove them. It will take about three weeks" after the county takes the properties.

Scozzafava said the absentee landlords didn't care about the condition of the buildings, and people are living rent-free but in squalid conditions.

lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com

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