City considers properties on the foreclosure auction block
Members of the Onaway City Commission are considering the purchase of foreclosed properties listed for next month?s multi-county land auction to be conducted in Petoskey, July 21.
Of the 20 listed parcels in Presque Isle County, only three have structures on them, and all are in the City of Onaway.
One parcel is on North Elm Street, while two are on Spruce Street. All three properties are listed at the web address www.tax-sale.info. The house on North Elm is in ?rough shape? the site states. The minimum bid is $3,256.
The structure along 20905 Spruce (min. bid. $553) is described as a ?shack.? It is located adjacent to Chandler Park. The other parcel is at 20398 Spruce ($2,840). At Monday?s commission meeting the commission tabled any action until the next meeting July 2 to get further information.
Commissioner Mel Perkins made the motion, saying he would prefer having commissioner Brad Porter in attendance to vote on the issue. The motion was approved on a 4-0 vote.
GOVERNMENT ENTITIES are offered an opportunity to acquire parcels prior to the public land auction. In recent years, the city acquired a building next to the former city hall through the foreclosure proceedings, and other properties that rid the city of several ?eyesores.?
Purchasing lots prior to the auction has worked well for Onaway?s urban renewal. The city can offer the parcel to neighbor(s) and deed it with a reverter clause, stating that if the structure is not razed the city gets it back.
City manager Joe Hefele said he is ?100 percent certain? that Pat Preseau, who lives next to the North Elm Street lot, is interested in acquiring the house and razing it. ?The owner of the home next to the small shack on Spruce, near Chandler Park, is not sure,? said Hefele.
Hefele recommended acquiring the North Elm and 20905 Spruce Street properties, and advised against the other parcel, because the white ranc
The city needs to let the county know by July 14. The other counties participating in the auction are Alpena, Cheboygan, Alcona, Charlevoix, Emmet, Otsego, Montmorency.
IN OTHER news: ? The commission voted 3-0 to split a lot along Seventh Street in French Town. It is owned by commissioner Perkins, who abstained from voting.
? Upcoming meetings dates have changed. The board voted to move the scheduled session for July 16 to July 23, and with Labor Day being on September 3, the board moved the meeting to 4th.
? A request by Hefele to roll his final week of personal time was honored. Hefele made the request because he will be off next month for his wedding/honeymoon trip. ?There is a lot going on and I?d rather not take the final week of June off,? said Hefele. He needed to take the time off before the anniversary of his hiring date in 2001.