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Buyers must now pay $1,000 to purchase properties from Luzerne County&rsquo;s tax-delinquent repository if the parcels contain a structure, while bids will remain at $500 for those without a building.
				A county council majority approved the increase last week, resolving a debate that has been going on for years about the appropriate price for these properties.
				Parcels land in the repository if nobody purchased them in popular first- and second-stage tax auctions. They remain in limbo and abandoned without generating tax revenue unless a buyer surfaces.
				Unloading repository properties has been a priority because the county has amassed over 1,100 in its pool &mdash; more than most, if not all, other similarly-sized, third-class counties.
				Council&rsquo;s Real Estate Committee recommended the $500 increase in the minimum bid for those with structures, concluding the amount was reasonable but not too high to deter prospective buyers.
				Arguing against a &ldquo;blanket amount,&rdquo; county Councilman Walter Griffith unsuccessfully proposed an amendment basing minimum bids on the assessed values and length of time properties have been in the repository.
				For properties assessed up to $50,000, Griffith suggested a $1,000 minimum bid for those in the repository less than five years and $500 if the duration has been more than five years.
				Using this under/over five years benchmark, Griffith proposed bids of $1,500 or $750 for properties assessed between $50,001 and $100,000 and $2,000 or $1,000 for those assessed over that amount.
				Only three of the 11 council members voted for Griffith&rsquo;s tiered approach &mdash; Griffith, Stephen J. Urban and Linda McClosky Houck.
				Councilwoman Sheila Saidman questioned the accuracy of any high assessments on these parcels, saying repository properties that have been reviewed by council in the past were &ldquo;not viable.&rdquo;
				Concurring, Councilwoman LeeAnn McDermott said the real estate committee she chairs has reviewed the matter multiple times and did not opt to charge more than $1,000 because the properties likely would have sold in tax auctions if they were more valuable.
				Griffith said he based his recommendation on the assessments the county assigned because that is the only value available. He produced a list showing approximately 50 repository properties were assessed over $50,000.
				Unless a structure is torn down or added, the county assessor&rsquo;s office cannot randomly alter the values of individual properties due to a ban on spot assessing outside a reassessment, officials have said.
				An assessment change also is permissible outside a reassessment if property owners file appeals, but it&rsquo;s unlikely this option was pursued for most repository parcels because the properties were essentially abandoned, officials said.
				Councilman Harry Haas said he does not support raising the minimum repository bid above $1,000 because &ldquo;people don&rsquo;t want these properties.&rdquo;
				In the final vote, all 11 council members approved the new $500/$1,000 bid amounts.
				Some properties have been in the pool for many years because they have access problems or are retention basins or scraps deserted by developers after they finished projects.
				The properties can be purchased at any time, and a list of those available is updated regularly and posted at <a href="http://www.luzernecountytaxclaim.com/repositorylist.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.luzernecountytaxclaim.com</a>.

Luzerne County repository purchase prices set