Tax sale set for November 10

#Middlebury #TaxSale

This house at 1530 Straits Turnpike is set to be offered at auction Wednesday, November 10, at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall conference room. Payment of owed taxes and fees would take it off the auction block. (Marjorie Needham photo)

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

A legal notice published on September 1 by State Marshal John Barbieri announced a tax warrant and property tax auction to be held Wednesday, November 10, at 6 p.m. in Middlebury’s Town Hall at 1212 Whittemore Road in Middlebury. Tax Collector Brenda Carter said it is the first tax sale in two years.

Four properties were listed in the legal notice, but monies owed on three of the properties have been paid. Not yet paid are the monies owed in real estate taxes and water and sewer use charges for the property at 1530 Straits Turnpike. Vision Appraisal shows the property as a 4-bedroom, 2 bathroom Cape Cod style home built in 1951. It is on .39 acres.

Carter said the owner has right up to the day of the auction to pay the $15,603.26 owed the town. Should the owner fail to do that, the owner still will have an opportunity to redeem the property. Owners have six months following an auction to pay the total amount owed. Carter said the town clerk holds the deed to the property during this six month period.

She said two years typically go by before a delinquent account is sent to a tax sale. During that time, many notices are sent to the owner. Carter said she often gets no responses from owners.

“If you don’t call me, I can’t work with you,” she said. And she said she much prefers to work out a payment plan with an owner than to have a property auctioned off. “This is the least favorite part of my job,” she said.

Per the legal notice, those interested in bidding on the property must bring to the auction a bank or certified check in the amount of $3,000 made payable to themselves. The balance of the sale price will be due and paid within 10 days of the conclusion of the sale by a bank or certified check payable to Marshal John Barbieri, Trustee. The notice also mentions additional fees and obligations the buyer will assume, including additional taxes, interest, fees and other charges accrued after July 31, 2021.

The three other properties’ obligations in the amounts of $14,184.64, $19,230.84 and $72.38 were paid in full. Marshal Barbieri’s telephone number is 203-632-5833.