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A Realtor may be hired to market and sell unused Luzerne County-owned properties.
The periodic suggestion, most recently made by citizen Brian Shiner, is worth pursuing, county Manager C. David Pedri said Monday.
Pedri said he has asked the county purchasing department to work with the solicitor’s and assessor’s offices to draft a proposal seeking Realtors interested in handling the work on a commission-only basis.
Hundreds of vacant land parcels ranging from slivers to developable lots were put in the county’s name during the past 200 years, officials say. County officials implemented a policy in 2014 allowing the public to submit purchase offers, but Shiner told the council last week the “piecemeal” approach is not yielding sufficient response.
“Let the Realtor do the work. Let the Realtor market these properties and find buyers and then bring them to you,” Shiner said.
The Kingston resident pointed to the proposed 2017 county budget that includes a 4-percent tax hike, new $5 vehicle fee and permanent ending of a tax break for primary residences.
“Start looking to bring in revenue wherever you can, and the most possible,” Shiner said. “The only way you’re going to do that is to hire a professional.”
Pedri said a Realtor may drum up interest in parcels by contacting neighboring property owners or posting signs alerting residents a lot is up for grabs.
“It’s important to divest ourselves of this property so it can be returned to the tax rolls and reduce our insurance liability,” Pedri said.
The council, which must approve county real estate sales and purchases, unanimously agreed last week to sell a 0.27-acre lot on Pearson Street in Hanover Township to Jeffrey J. Kobal for $500. Assessed at $12,300 for real estate taxation purposes, the lot was transferred to the ownership of county commissioners by the county tax-claim office in 1986.
Council members also voted to allow Andrew and Christina Popielarz to publicly advertise their proposed purchase of a 0.13-acre lot on Fairground Road in Dallas Township. Advertising is a requirement under the county policy in case others are interested. The couple owns an adjacent property and is offering $500 for the lot, which is assessed at $13,000, saying it is landlocked and unbuildable.
The council also discussed Hazleton businessman Barry Postupack’s offer to buy a lot next to his North Cedar Street auto repair and bait shop for $8,000. Council members may vote next week to allow Postupack to advertise the proposed purchase.
Past county officials had purchased this 0.178-acre property for $30,000 in 1999 to provide parking for county offices located nearby at that time. The lot at 56 N. Cedar St. is assessed at $15,500.
Pedri told the council the county no longer has offices in the vicinity of the lot and said county crews had to clean up garbage deposited at the site three or four times in the last two years.
Councilman Robert Schnee, who works in the Hazleton area, told his colleagues $8,000 is a “very generous” offer. Property values have declined throughout the city, he said, noting homes in more upscale city neighborhoods listed for $300,000 are selling for $150,000.
The county-owned lot in the city’s downtown has become a magnet for abandoned vehicles, Schnee said.
“It’s a mess,” he said.