Another 84 tax-delinquent properties will be on the auction block Monday when Lackawanna County's fifth annual judicial sale resumes at the courthouse.
Ron Koldjeski, deputy director of the county Tax Claim Bureau, said there is lot of interest in the parcels, with more than 370 potential bidders preregistered for the 10 a.m. sale.
Making millions
The auction is a continuation of the 2013 judicial sale that opened Feb. 25 with the sale of 72 properties for more than $1.13 million.
Since then, the owners of 26 properties that were listed for Monday's sale have paid delinquent taxes totaling $75,022, pushing presale collections to $886,033.
"We are getting them (tax-delinquent properties) paid up or in the hands of new owners who will pay the taxes in full and on time," Mr. Koldjeski said.
On the rolls
He anticipates the properties sold Monday will bring collections from the 2013 sale to between $2.5 million and $3 million.
Since the Tax Claim Bureau started holding regular judicial sales in 2009, the county has collected more than $8 million and returned more than 400 properties to taxpaying status.
Properties auctioned at a judicial sale are sold free and clear of all encumbrances, including mortgages, liens, judgments and past tax claims, making them attractive to buyers.
Contact the writer: dsingleton@ timesshamrock.com