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Winning bidder agrees to pay $33K for 109 Walnut

By Howard B. Owens

walnutaucapril162016.jpg

Jeff Freeman was the high bidder this morning at an auction by the city of a house at 109 Walnut St.

Freeman agreed to pay $33,000, beating out three or four other bidders.

The purchase must be approved by the City Council before it is final.

Freeman said he plans to complete renovations on the house and then provide it as rental.

It is a single-family home and auctioneer Todd Jantzi, of Bontrager's, noted that the city sold the house once before at auction, in 2011. That buyer subsequently sold the property and the new buyer began renovations, and got very far along before abandoning the project for unknown reasons.

The house has been painted upstairs and down, has new carpeting and flooring throughout and a new kitchen, but lacks fixtures.

The city foreclosed on the property to satisfy unpaid taxes.

City staff has proposed using the auction money to fund Vibrant Batavia for another year, but that would require City Council approval first.

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Ricky G. Hale

Funding Vibrant Batavia is a bunch of BULL S__T. That $33K belongs to the tax payers of this City! What right does Jason and/or the council have to just piss it away.

Apr 16, 2016, 1:47pm Permalink
John Roach

Council still has to vote on this give away to Vibrant Batavia. Let's hope they say no this time. We were told VB would only need our tax money to get started. Now, years later, they still need our money. And about 85% of the money goes just to pay overhead. If they can not fund themselves by now, end the program.

Apr 16, 2016, 3:13pm Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

You're welcome, Alvin.
Now, here's the kicker. You did notice, didn't you, that the news item I posted the link to was from 2011.

I have no idea if the delinquent amount from that post was the amount that was due in 2016. Did the city "own" that property for 4+ years, without it incurring any more delinquent monies? That I don't know.

Apr 19, 2016, 8:43am Permalink

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