Great Barrington — The Town of Great Barrington’s first tax lien property auction held at the Town Hall on Friday, January 30 grossed more than $41,000 when the town accepted bids on 10 of the 13 land parcels on the auction block.
A diverse assortment of parcels were offered at the public auction ranging from 2-acre individual, contiguous lots located in a residential area to smaller parcels close to the center of town. All properties have been held by the Town through foreclosure for more than four years.
Town officials were elated with the outcome of the auction, placing the properties back on the tax rolls.
“Town Treasurer Sandra Larkin and Assessor Chris Lamarre worked very hard with Sullivan & Sullivan Auctioneers to organize Great Barrington’s first tax lien auction,” stated Town Manager Jennifer Tabakin, in an announcement of the results of the auction. “We are all very pleased with the results and so are the buyers of the parcels.”
“This was an exciting opportunity for property owners of the town to finally purchase abutting property,” said Marianne Sullivan, president of Sullivan & Sullivan Auctioneers. “The town’s auction was a unique venue for prospective buyers to come together in a public forum and bid based what they consider to be fair market value.”
Based in Sandwich, Mass., Sullivan & Sullivan Auctioneers has been selling commercial properties in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire since the company’s founding in 2007. While municipal auctions are a rare opportunity, in 2014 Sullivan & Sullivan conducted nine public auctions for seven towns, selling a total of 53 properties for the municipalities.
The real estate closing will be handed by attorney Dawn Bloom, who was appointed as Special Counsel for the tax lien auction. The closings for the properties are to occur within 30 days of the auction.
