Elkhart County will hold online tax sale

ELKHART COUNTY — The county is hoping to unload some properties that owe taxes online. You could end up buying a vacant lot or even a home for as little as $100. However, you need to do your do your homework before making a bid. “Basically, we have set that up to try to get them back on the tax rolls," said Tom Byers, county administrator. The county has been authorized to hold what is known as a "tax certificate sale" by the state of Indiana. More than 600 delinquent properties that have not sold during the county's traditional tax sale will go up for auction in June on the Internet. The county is marking down bid prices considerably to get them back on the tax rolls. "To encourage people to bid on those properties if it has been through only one tax sale, we have set the minimum bid at 25 percent. And those that been through more than one tax sale, we have set the minimum bid at 10 percent," Byers said. Given that formula, he says around 100 vacant sites, or even homes, could go for a bid of around $100. While the prices of some of these properties may be very low, or in some cases at rock bottom, potential buyers are being asked to do their homework so they know what they are getting into before buying. "It is important that people take a very close look at these properties before they purchase them,” said Mike Yoder, county commissioner. “One of the advantages of in Internet sale is that it does provide more time to do that due diligence and investigate that property before they make that bid." The goal is to find new owners who will develop or improve the properties. "Right now, with these properties, we are making zero money,” Yoder said. “We are just accumulating additional fees. Every time they come up for an auction, we have to pay a fee, so it's to our benefit and the taxpayer’s benefit to get them into private ownership." The online sale will begin June 3 and run through the 14th. Property owners will have 120 days after the sale to pay the back-taxes and penalties. If that doesn't happen, bidders will be given the deed. http://www.sri-taxsale.com/