LINCOLN, Maine — An Ellsworth businessman has purchased from the town a mobile home park acquired in a tax foreclosure, officials said Tuesday.
Wayne Wright of Corinna Holdings LLC of Ellsworth concluded about a month of negotiations by paying $35,000 for the property, officials said.
“I am very excited for everybody involved,” Town Manager Ron Weatherbee said Tuesday. “For Mr. Wright, it was great that his company stepped up to do this and make everything right.
“Even more so, I am very happy for the tenants of the park,” Weatherbee added. “They were very concerned that they had done nothing wrong, and then they were told [your water will be turned off]. For them I think it’s a great thing.”
The town assumed ownership of the 11-home park off Grindel Street on March 10 because the property owner, Warren Brasslett of Greenbush, failed to pay about $31,000 in tax and water bills. An attempt to sell the park at auction two months ago failed because of a lack of bids.
Town officials became aware of the complexities of owning a mobile home park when water department officials told them on May 29 that 10 families would have their water shut off on June 1 because of nonpayment. Councilors and Weatherbee intervened on behalf of the tenants, and the town’s water department delayed bill collection for about two weeks.
A sewer lien of $24,526, a Lincoln Water District bill of $629 and the town’s $8,371 lien on the property were part of the $35,000 payment, leaving the town about $850 in income from the transaction, town Treasurer Melissa Quintela said.
Efforts to reach Wright were unsuccessful on Tuesday, but town officials said he will continue to operate the mobile home park.