Cecilia F. Remus

No. 23 Mississippi St beats South Alabama 30-10

First Posted: 9/19/2012 Seven church properties were listed in Thursday's Luzerne County back-tax auction, but most are expected to be removed because of pending challenges over their assessments and tax-exempt status.
The county assessment appeals board had authorized the assessor's office to tax many church properties in 2009 after other counties started issuing tax bills to closed churches and parochial schools.
Kingston attorney Stephen Killian obtained a court order Sept. 7 removing the International Institute of Church Management in Plymouth from the auction list.
The nonprofit institute purchased the church at 236 W. Main St. and an office at 240 W. Main from the Methodist Episcopal Church for a combined $85,000 in 2005. The county assessment appeal board granted tax-exempt status at that time, Killian's court filing said.
The appeal board issued a notice making the property taxable in 2010, Killian said.
The board agreed to reduce the church assessment from $1.5 million to $360,900 in October 2010 but refused to restore tax-exempt status, he said. The property owner filed a court challenge in November 2010, but a mediation settlement has not been reached, he said.
A total $20,285 in taxes is owed for 2010 and 2011 on the church. The office building wasn't listed in the auction because taxes are current.
Wilkes-Barre attorney Francis J. Hoegen said he is in the process of completing court filings seeking removal of the following properties from the auction:
&amp;#8226; The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Wyoming Valley Church, Mount Olivet Road, Kingston Township, which was purchased for $62,000 in November 2009 and is assessed at $271,800. The outstanding tax bill: $4,066 for 2010.
&amp;#8226; St. Mary's Annunciation Church, Slocum Street, Kingston. A total $118,000 in taxes is owed for 2010 and 2011 based on the prior $2.5 million assessment. The assessment was reduced to $100,000 in June 2012.
&amp;#8226; St. Raphael's Church and an adjoining lot in the Harleigh section of Hazle Township. A total $3,596 is owed on both properties for 2010 and 2011. The church is assessed at $70,000, with the lot at $5,000.

Ex-churches on tax auction list