Lackawanna County sold 72 tax-delinquent properties for more than $1.13 million at its 2013 judicial sale on Monday.
Combined with presale delinquent-tax payments of $806,011, this year's judicial sale has already produced more than $1.9 million, Tax Claim Bureau deputy director Ron Koldjeski said.
More importantly, he said, 178 properties - the 72 sold Monday and 106 whose owners paid up to avoid the sale - have been returned to tax-paying status.
In a judicial sale, properties are auctioned free and clear of all encumbrances, including mortgages, liens and judgments.
Mr. Koldjeski said the highest amount seen at Monday's auction was $285,000 for a two-story, single-family home at 1306 Morgan Highway in Clarks Summit. The property started out with a minimum bid of $8,458.
"We had some big ones. We had some small ones. We had some minimum-bid ones," he said. "But, hey, they moved. I'm happy that we moved them."
The 61 properties that did not attract bidders Monday will be added to the county's repository list, where they will be available for purchase.
Another 101 tax-delinquent properties were previously moved to the March 25 continuation of the judicial sale. Mr. Koldjeski said he anticipates 60 or 70 will actually be offered for sale as some owners pay or make arrangements to pay their back taxes before then.
Contact the writer: dsingleton@ timesshamrock.com