Property Auction Coming In August

John Bippus, Auctioneer; Julia Bird, Treasurer Moon's Tax Reversion Coordinator (L); and Holly Moon, Newaygo County Treasurer (R)

Treasurer urges early intervention for property owners

Newaygo County will be holding its first auction of foreclosed property for nonpayment of the 2015 property taxes on August 2, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. in the Board of Commissioner’s Room in White Cloud.  “We are very proud of our work in the Treasurer’s Office helping taxpayers save their properties,” stated Holly Moon, Newaygo County Treasurer.  “This year we have 89 total foreclosures with 25 of these properties given up freely by the owners. 70 of the 89 total parcels are small lots located in one of our northern townships. The remaining 19 parcels are spread across the other 27 townships and cities in Newaygo County with some local units having no foreclosures."

​The upcoming auction is open to the public and registration begins at 12:00 p.m.  On-line registration will be available prior to the sale by link on the County Treasurer’s webpage or the Auctioneer’s website: www.BippusUSA.com.  A potential buyer must bring a $1,000 deposit in the form of cash or certified check made out to themselves in order to register.  If a person is a successful bidder, the deposit will apply towards their purchase and the balance of the transaction is due by 5:00 p.m. on the day of auction.  If a bidder does not purchase, they will receive their deposit back in full the day of auction. There is a 10% buyer’s premium and $59 deed preparation fee added to each parcel purchased.  According to State statute, buyers must pay the 2018 summer tax bill before the deed can be executed.

The list of properties available for auction along with pictures, maps and minimum bids can be found on the County website: www.countyofnewaygo.com; then use the link there to navigate to the County Treasurer’s page and select the “Properties for Auction” tab.  You will find Frequently Asked Questions and the Terms and Conditions of the auction located there as well. The Newaygo County Treasurer’s Office has hard copies of the property list available for purchase at $10.50 each.  

All properties offered at auction are sold “as is” “where is.”  It is the buyer's responsibility to do their homework as to their desired use of a property, and to execute any eviction process that may be necessary when they purchase.  This auction is for the real property only, and the buyer will receive a Quit Claim Deed to the property. There are no liens carrying forward on any of the parcels offered, but the new buyer is responsible for the 2018 summer bill, and all future property tax bills.  

Any parcels not sold on August 2, 2018, will be offered again on September 20, 2018.  This auction will be run the same as the August auction with the possibility of some additional parcels being added for property owners who received an extension and did not pay by the extension deadline.  On-line registration will also be available by link on the County Treasurer’s webpage for the September Auction.

“Foreclosures continue to demand our urgent attention, and we recognize the need to help taxpayers struggling with this issue,” stated Holly Moon, County Treasurer. “We can’t erase the foreclosures or the economic challenges that taxpayers face in our community, but we are always fighting back in Newaygo County. The earlier taxpayers reach out to us for help, the more options we can provide for them.”