WINNEMUCCA - Humboldt County Treasurer Gina Rackley will be holding a delinquent tax auction at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 12, in the county commissioners meeting room (201) located on the second floor of the courthouse.
This year's auction consists of 18 parcels and all properties are sold "as is," according to the treasurer's office. One parcel is improved and the mobile home located on the property will be included in the sale of that property.
The remaining 17 parcels are all vacant land ranging in size from .16 of an acre and as large as 160 acres.
The treasurer's office encourages anyone interested in purchasing any of these parcels to investigate before they bid. A CD is available for purchase for the amount of $25 and contains a map and copy of each title search performed on the parcel.
Before properties get to the point of being auctioned off, the property taxes must first become three years delinquent, at which time the county takes deed to the property on the first Monday in June as mandated by NRS 361.590.
The treasurer's office then holds the property in trust for one year and attempts to work with the prior owner to get the taxes paid before proceeding to auction.
In July of the fifth year, if taxes are still not paid, the treasurer then appears before the board of county commissioners to request authorization to proceed.
A title search is then performed on each parcel and certified letters sent to all parties whose names appear as a result of those title searches, informing them that they have until the last working day in February to pay all taxes, penalties, interest, fees and any other related costs to redeem their properties and keep them from going on to sale.
When Rackley first appeared before the commission on July 9, 2012, the treasurer's office had 35 parcels that were delinquent on property taxes.
"I am quite pleased that 16 property owners paid their taxes and redeemed their property, which is ultimately my goal," Rackley said.
One parcel located in Water Canyon was retained by Humboldt County as allowed by NRS 361.603.
"I would really rather not sell any property. I would rather everyone pay their taxes," Rackley said. "But in many cases we have lost contact with the property owners. Either they have moved and we cannot locate a new address for them or they have deceased and many times none of their heirs even know that this property exists."
On the date of the auction, interested bidders must first register in the treasurer's office and receive a bidder number. The auction will begin shortly after 10 a.m. and successful bidders have until 4 p.m. to pay in full with cash, money order or credit card.
The minimum bid for most parcels are between $500 and $700. The parcel with the highest minimum bid amount is $1,800 and that is the property which contains the mobile home and improvements on it.
If bidding raises the price of the property over the amount of the minimum, the former owner can file a request for a portion of those excess proceeds within one year.
If no claim is received then those funds are then transferred in to the general fund of the county and they cannot be refunded to the former property owner or his or successors in interest.
For a full list of property for sale, see the publication located on page 16 of this edition of the Humboldt Sun. Information can also be found on the treasurer's web page at http://www.hcnv.us/treas/tax_auction.htm.[[In-content Ad]]
