ROCKLAND, Maine — City councilors denied the sale of one tax-acquired property and approved the sale, at least preliminarily, of several others on Monday evening.
Each of the approved sales were for less than market values because the city only issues a municipal quitclaim deed, which quits the city’s interest in the property. Banks often will not loan money to people trying to buy property without a warranty deed.
The council voted 4-1 to give final approval to the sale of a 1,400-square-foot ranch home with an attached garage at 20 Katahdin Ave. to neighboring property owner Stjuart Bicaj for $20,150. The home and quarter acre lot are valued by the city at $159,600.
The city foreclosed on the property in September 2014 when J.P. Morgan Chase Bank had failed to pay $284 in delinquent sewer fees even after being notified on multiple occasions of the pending foreclosure. The bank had foreclosed on the property in February 2014.
The council voted in December 2014 to return the property to the bank with the conditions that it make repairs to the home and pay all back property taxes and sewer fees. The bank failed to meet those conditions, and the city retained ownership and put it out to bid.
Councilor Valli Geiger voted against the sale.
Also on Monday evening, the council gave unanimous preliminary approval to selling a two-story colonial-style home on about an eighth-of-an-acre lot at 319 Broadway to Roula Giannos of Rockland for $10,000.
The city has that property assessed at $71,800.
The home was heavily damaged by fire in June 2012 and has not been lived in since then. The city acquired the land in March through an automatic foreclosure when the property owner failed to pay $3,108 in delinquent property taxes.
The council also gave unanimous preliminary approval to the sale of a 2,600-square-foot home at 328 Limerock St. to Jake Barbour of Owls Head for $5,000.
The city acquired the property in March 2012 for nonpayment of property taxes. The property is assessed at $91,500.
Unanimous preliminary approval was given to the sale of an eighth-of-an-acre lot at 44 Old County Road to Joy Rodrigue of Rockland for $1,000.
The city acquired the vacant lot in 1994 for nonpayment of taxes. The lot is assessed by the city at $5,200.
Formal public hearings and final votes will be held Sept. 14 on each of the sales that were given preliminary approval Monday evening.
The council rejected, however, on a 3-2 vote, the sale of a Cape Cod-style home at 35 Broadway. The proposal before the council was to sell the home on nearly half an acre to Jamie Levensaler of Spruce Head for $22,000.
The property is assessed by the city at $152,300.
The city foreclosed on the home in March on a $117 unpaid sewer fee.
Voting to kill that sale were councilors Valli Geiger, Louise MacLellan-Ruf and Larry Pritchett. No reason was stated for the opposition.
Before selling foreclosed homes, the city attempts to return properties to owners. For instance, on Monday evening, the council voted to return one property on Dunton Avenue to its former owner for payment of back taxes, interests and other costs incurred by the city.