County’s 2016 tax sales bring in record money

County land bank also sets record

We are extremely pleased with the increasing success of our online tax sales.” David Lenoir, county Trustee

Shelby County’s tax sales for the 2016 fiscal year brought in record dollars, joining the county land bank, which also finished the year with record sales.

The land bank generated close to $4.5 million in the sale of 1,030 surplus properties for fiscal 2016, with sales over the last five years totaling nearly $20 million, an increase of 320 percent over the previous fiveyear period.

“Fiscal responsibility is a top priority,” county Mayor Mark Luttrell said in a statement. “It’s vital we get these properties back on the tax rolls as soon as possible.”

The county owns more than 6,500 properties.

It spent about $1.2 million last year to mow grass, remove litter and keep houses and buildings secured, said Tom Needham, county public works director.

The county’s four tax sales generated $3.89 million for fiscal 2016, compared with $3.25 million in fiscal 2015, an increase of $607,695, or 18 percent.

The county’s June tax sale brought in $892,229, with 60 bidders who bought 70 of the 263 available properties.

“We are extremely pleased with the increasing success of our online tax sales,” county Trustee David Lenoir said in a statement.

“By modernizing the process, we are generating financially lucrative results. This type of technology shows that we are moving Shelby County forward, expanding the pool of bidders and putting more properties in the hands of responsible owners.”

And during the weeks before the sale, property owners paid more than $1.7 million to settle accounts.

The highest bid in the sale was $95,100 for 139 Madison.