Abandoned properties to be up for sale in Hattiesburg

Published 11:30 am Tuesday, March 17, 2015

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) — Seventy-six abandoned properties in Hattiesburg will be auctioned Wednesday.

The Hattiesburg American reports (http://hatne.ws/1CqOmUI ) bid sheets will be available on the Secretary of State’s website and bids will be accepted until April 8. Bids will be opened on April 9.

Maps of the properties will be on both the Secretary of State’s and the City of Hattiesburg websites. Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann’s office estimated the value of the properties at nearly $191,000.

The properties reverted to the state of Mississippi after owners failed over a three-year period to bring required property taxes up to date.

While technically owned by the state, the city is required to maintain those properties.

Mayor Johnny DuPree said by putting the parcels up for sale, the property not only would be returned to the city and county tax rolls, city labor for maintenance could be used elsewhere.

“What does this mean for the citizens of Hattiesburg? It will reduce the cost of maintenance, the cost of running that equipment, the manpower costs that is associated with that. We can be doing other things with that manpower,” Dupree said Monday.

Hosemann said bidders are not required to pay the existing tax bill or offer what the property might appraise at. There’s no minimum bid, only the best bid.

The new owner would be required to take care of the property and also pay future property taxes on the land.