Blighted housing at 623 W. Memorial sits in disrepair Monday afternoon. Delaware County Commissioners hoping to find new owners for hundreds of homes just like these. Staff photo by Corey Ohlenkamp
MUNCIE — Hundreds of the estimated 4,000-plus empty and abandoned properties in the city of Muncie are owned by the Delaware County commissioners.
And they want to get rid of them, either by demolishing them or putting them in the hands of new owners and back on property tax rolls.
In separate actions on Monday, the county commissioners took steps to dispose of hundreds of these properties and others they control.
First the commissioners heard a report about 643 parcels, some with houses, that are delinquent in property taxes and subject to sale. Then they gave nearly 50 properties to the city of Muncie for disposal.
Joe Edwards of Indianapolis-based SRI, which conducts the county's annual tax sales of delinquent properties, told the commissioners that they own 643 tax sale certificates.
"They represent about $2.6 million in delinquent taxes," Edwards said.
Edwards noted that SRI typically conducts an annual sale of delinquent properties. In such sales, bidders can win liens on properties and ultimately can own a property if the original owner doesn't pay the back taxes.
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