Douglas County struggles to give land away

Shelley Nelson, Superior Telegram, Wis.
·2 min read

Jun. 28—SUPERIOR — Douglas County was willing to give land away and found no takers.

Now officials are going to try it again.

The county's Land and Development Committee on Tuesday, June 27, directed the County Clerk's Office to advertise parcels that once housed the north and south Country Acres trailer parks for sale again.

No bids were received after the property was advertised in June.

County Board Chairman Mark Liebaert said he anticipated receiving three bids on the property, which was valued at $33,600 during the last assessment in Parkland in 2013. Tuesday, he was worried the lack of bids would leave Douglas County to bear the cleanup costs for the property with no way to recoup the expenses.

Douglas County officials

took the property last year for unpaid taxes

and worked with residents of the trailer parks to vacate the properties.

The county has already spent $39,313.74 removing trash and debris from the two trailer courts on Douglas County Highway E and a property on County Highway C. That doesn't include $17,769 in landfill fees the city of Superior suspended for cleanup of the trailer park property.

The property will go up for sale again at no cost to the purchaser. However, the new owner will have to agree to demolish and remove dilapidated mobile homes that remain on the nearly six acres of land. To ensure the new owner meets that obligation, the county is requiring a performance bond in the amount of $212,500. The bond would allow the county to do the demolition and removal in the event the new owner failed to live up to the agreement.

County Clerk Kaci Lundgren said officials will essentially go through the same process they did in June because the normal remedy of lowering the price when the county receives no bids is unnecessary when the minimum bid price is zero.

In anticipation of receiving bids on the property, the Douglas County Board authorized a special meeting for Thursday, June 29. With no bids to consider, Lundgren said she would notify supervisors the meeting will not be held.

In other business, the committee was notified that Douglas County won't take any improved properties this year among tax-deeded properties.

"They're all vacant land, which is great because we don't want to displace anyone out of their home," Lundgren said. The Wisconsin Help for Homeowners program and property tax payment programs offered by the county treasurer's office have helped the county reach this milestone, she said.

Supervisor Alan Jaques said the programs are working as intended and commended county officials for the work they are doing.

"No one wants to sit up here and take anyone's property," Jaques said. "That's the last thing anyone wants to do."