LITTLE VALLEY, N.Y. — It was Cattaraugus County’s first million-dollar property auction.
On Saturday, the county auctioned 102 properties for nonpayment of back taxes for $1,130,400. The county’s involvement in back taxes and fees was $760,952.
“It was a very good auction,” said county treasurer Joseph G. Keller. “It was our highest dollar amount ever.”
He said one reason for the high dollar amount were some key pieces of property.
Four properties — including an Ellicottville warehouse and a 60-acre parcel from the proposed Farmersville landfill — sold separately for nearly $350,000.
The 76-acre Farmersville property, which sold for $69,000, represents the fifth of eight parcels formerly owned by Southern Tier Waste Services that the county has sold individually over the past three years. The county foreclosed for nonpayment of taxes on the 450-acre property proposed for a regional landfill more than five years ago.
“The Farmersville deeds have a restriction prohibiting the property’s future use for a landfill,” Keller said.
The treasurer said it is not the highest number of parcels sold at the county’s property auction. Several years ago, more than 40 parcels at the former Enchanted Lake development in Napoli were divided so they would be more affordable.
The highest price received at the auction was $180,000 for a warehouse on U.S. Route 219 in Ellicottville, formerly owned by Laidlaw Energy. It was sold to a local developer.
The lowest bid was $25 for a South Valley parcel with $631 in back taxes.
Last year, the county auctioned 75 parcels for $832,460, with a tax involvement of $488,343.
A rural residence in Ellicottville sold for $49,000, as did a Portville residence.
The auction, held in the auditorium of the former Cattaraugus-Little Valley Elementary Campus, was attended by about 300 people, some as far away as Ontario, Florida and Texas.
Keller credited auctioneer Jimmy Mack of Randolph for his enthusiasm in getting the highest bids for the properties. He has been conducting the auctions for the past 20 years.
Keller said about half of the parcels are vacant rural residential land.
“People are asking themselves why are they paying taxes on it and just stop paying,” he said.
About 10 of the properties included a structure that had been condemned by a local building code officer, and will have to be demolished.
“The large majority are run-down rental properties that people let go,” Keller said.
“Most of the people I have to evict 30 days before the auction are tenants. Most times, the landlords haven’t told them.”
The treasurer said between four and five homes are owner-occupied when the eviction notice comes.
“It’s unfortunate, he said. “By the time you foreclose, they owe four or five years of taxes. No way are they going to be able to come up with that money.”
