Heartland Motorsports Park says auction canceled, 'pre-auction offer received'

A weeks-long auction being held to sell off the Topeka properties that formerly served as the site of Heartland Motorsports Park was canceled late Wednesday afternoon as it neared its end.

A message posted on the auction website appeared to suggest owner Chris Payne had accepted an offer received prior to the auction.

"Auction canceled," the message said. "Pre-auction offer received."

The Capital-Journal emailed Payne early Wednesday evening seeking to learn more but hadn't heard back.

The auction began last month and was set to end at 6 p.m. Wednesday, with properties up for bid including 17 buildings and 20 tracts of land.

Owner plans to pay all the property taxes he owes

Payne — whose company, Shelby Development LLC, owns Heartland Motorsports Park — closed its doors and ceased operations after its racing season finished late last year.

Shelby Development owes Shawnee County more than $3.2 million in outstanding property taxes and penalties, with the total continuing to rise.

Payne told The Capital-Journal in May he planned to pay all of the property taxes Shelby Development owes the county.

"The auction will consist of selling individual and multiple parcels collectively," he said. "The goal is for sale proceeds to produce enough revenue to pay all outstanding property taxes. Shelby will cover any shortfalls, as all taxes will need to be paid in full to rightfully transfer ownership of each parcel to its new owner.

How did the facility's Shawnee County tax bill get so large?

Payne since early 2016 has owned Heartland Motorsports Park, which hosted events that included the Country Stampede music festival and the Menards NHRA Nationals, a major drag racing competition.

Payne contended the county's appraised valuation of the Heartland Motorsports property is much higher than its actual market value, and that the facility was consequently being "taxed to death."

Overland Park-based Valbridge Property Advisors, working as a third-party appraiser for Shawnee County, appraised the property's value at $9.05 million in a report it provided in February 2023 to the county.

Payne contends the property's fair market value is close to the $2.4 million he paid to buy the facility.

He said he paid the facility's 2016 property taxes but hadn't paid them since because the county has been taxing him by appraising its value at far more than he'd be able to sell it for.

However, the county ended up winning its tax battle with Payne when the Kansas Court of Appeals ruled in its favor.

County commissioners said in May 2023 that Kansas law banned them from complying with Payne's request that the two sides cut a deal to resolve their years-long property tax battle.

They quoted a Kansas law that says the county cannot "release, discharge, remit or commute" past tax liability if the valuations involved have not been appealed or challenged by the taxpayer.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka's Heartland Motorsports Park cancels property auction