By Dave Baumeister, County Correspondent
SIOUX FALLS – A short county commission meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 8, finalized some business started at the previous meeting.
Minnehaha County Auditor Bob Litz added two properties the county listed as “surplus.”
This split foyer home at 2308 E. Sioux St. in Sioux Falls will be among eight properties auctioned on Saturday, Oct. 26, for a minimum bid of back taxes owed Minnehaha County. This property, assessed at $142,000, will have a minimum bid of just over $10,500 for taxes; however, it will also come with a $19,000 federal tax lien that will be “purchased” by whoever buys the house and land. (Photo by Dave Baumeister)
One parcel at 2308 E. Sioux St. in Sioux Falls was added to the list for the Oct. 26 auction, which will include 7 other parcels that might sell as low as what is owed for back taxes.
The Sioux Street property includes a split foyer house with a two-car garage, valued by the county to be worth $142,000.
Currently, the owner owes the county $10,518.67 in back taxes, fees and interest, and that is where the auction bidding will start on the 26th.
Litz, who believes the house to be occupied, said he has tried to reach out to the occupants, but as of the meeting on Oct. 8, no one had made any attempt to contact the county about the tax bill.
The reason this property hadn’t been on the list from the previous meeting was that commissioners wanted more information about a $19,000 federal tax lien against the property.
But Maggie Gillespie with the state’s attorney’s office was quick to add that whoever wins the bid with the county will also be “purchasing” the $19,000 federal debt.
In their discussions, commissioners were hoping the property would pick up more than the minimum bid, but they thought the federal tax debt might preclude that.
However, there was still discussion about any people living on the premises.
Members of the commission were concerned about having to evict people, but the lack of contact with the county made the situation unavoidable.
Litz believed that three of the properties to be auctioned were occupied.
The land auction on Saturday, Oct. 26, is scheduled for 10 a.m. on the first floor of the Minnehaha County Administration Building at 6th an Minnesota in Sioux Falls.
The other piece of property added to the list was also one discussed at the Oct. 1 meeting, a small piece of land on State Street in Dell Rapids.
While the land is owned by the Minnehaha County, it has been mowed and cared for many years by the adjoining neighbor, Litz said.
To get the land back on the county tax rolls, commissioners voted unanimously to transfer the land to the neighbor for only the $30 transfer fee.
In other property tax related business, the commission voted 4-1 to deny the disabled veteran exemption to 10 properties in the county.
County Equalization director Chris Lilla explained he recommended them for denial on the 2018 taxes (payable in 2019) because none of them were owned by the veterans requesting exemptions as of Nov. 1, 2017, which is when land was assessed for the following year.
While state law establishes that date for assessment, Commissioner Jeff Barth said it was still within the power of the county commission to abate those property taxes.
He originally made the motion to honor the veteran’s abatement, but it died for lack of a second.
Commissioners Dean Karsky and Cindy Heidelberger both said they felt it was important to follow the deadline established by state law in these matters.
But Barth, who has been on the county commission since 2007, said, “If it isn’t in our ability to vote to change something like this, then why are we included in the appeals process?”
His was the only vote against the denial.
Lilla said all 10 properties would be receiving the veteran’s exemptions for their 2019 taxes, payable in 2020.
The Minnehaha County Commission has its regular meetings each Tuesday at 9 a.m. on the second floor of the county administration building at 6th and Minnesota in Sioux Falls.
These meetings are open to the all, and public comment is always encouraged.
