Tekoa house draws lone bid at tax sale

Four of six properties were sold Friday morning in the county’s annual tax foreclosure sale conducted by Treasurer Robert Lothspeich. The annual tax sale is conducted under a court order on properties with unpaid taxes going back three years or more.

Lone item to attract competitive bids was a Tekoa house in the 600 Block of S. Crosby which was the top priced item on the sale roster, listed at $6,779 for back taxes, fees, and utility charges due the City of Tekoa.

The property attracted competitive bids which went up in $100 increments and ended with a sale of $9,600 on a bid by Jae Marie Shelden of Pullman.

Under terms of the sale, any amount received over the sale order minimum goes to the registered property owner. In this case the difference was $2,821. Registered owners of the Tekoa house were Allen Hurd and Jason Swisher.

Failing to attract a bid was a 1959 mobile home which is located on a lot of a mobile home park on NW Fisk Street in Pullman. The Henslee model home was listed at a minimum bid of $1,331. It will now become county property.

Another house on the listing, located in the 300 block of W. Spokane Street in Garfield, sold at the minimum listed amount of $5,294.

Other properties sold at listed minimum included one lot and part of another lot in Lamont at $1,349, and three lots in Malden at $1,628.

Two lots in Malden were taken off the auction bill because the $1,620 due on the property was paid to redeem it from the sale order.

County Treasurer Robert Lothspeich, who retires at the end of the year, marked his last sale of foreclosed tax properties which normally takes place at this time of year. The sale requires a reading of the court order and description of the property.