Cape Girardeau area properties with unpaid taxes hit the auction block

Several properties owned by those not paying real estate taxes were auctioned off Monday morning during a tax sale at the Cape Girardeau County administrative building.

Each year the Cape Girardeau County collector's office auctions off property belonging to people who are at least two years delinquent in paying their real estate taxes. While 500 owners owed more than $330,000 in back taxes in April, that number had dwindled from 110 Friday morning to 36 by the start of the business day Monday.

Two property owners even paid their taxes only seconds before their land was scheduled to go up for auction.

County Collector Diane Diebold said the main reason for the last-minute payments is procrastination.

Even though the parcels were sold during the auction, the owner has up to one year to pay and retain the property. If the owner redeems the land he or she must pay the property's sale price plus interest to the person who purchased the property at the auction. The interest is 10 percent the first year and 8 percent each year after.

Twelve properties, mostly those on which the property owners have liens with the City of Cape Girardeau, were not bid on. Many of those parcels had dilapidated buildings and weed-choked yards.

Diebold said 20 of 50 available properties were bid on last year, about average for the annual auction. Sixteen of those land owners paid their taxes within the one-year deadline, allowing them to redeem their property.

"We're hopeful for some of those same results in any other of the auctions," Diebold said. "It's just the matter of the right person with potential buying it."

For Krisinda Cook of Cape Girardeau, the auction allows her to purchase investment properties. Cook was the winning bidder on three parcels Monday.

While she said most of properties she has bid on ended up being bought back by the owner, those that aren't make it worth it. Her best deal was three years ago, when a property she bid on for $3,000 ended up selling for $30,000.

"It's like the lotto," Cook said. "If you don't play you won't win."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

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List of homes auctioned for unpaid real estate taxes

Owner parcel* starting bid ending bid bidder

Martin Wynkoop 374 Route HH, Cape Girardeau County $596.69 $569.69 Tyler Bruce, Cape Girardeau

Tanya Hall 510 Lake Sweet Gum Road, Burfordville, Mo. $554.89 $2,000 Wayne Wiedefeld, Whitewater

Kevin Sawyer 117 E. Main St., Jackson $2,221.44 $2,221.44 Scott Blank, Cape Girardeau

Joseph Williams Saddlebrook Ridge subdivision parcel, Jackson $480.87 $6,300 Stone Cottage Properties, Jackson

Randol Farms Development Inc. Palomino Drive parcel $50.82 $200 David Bruce, Cape Girardeau

Ruth Goff and Jean Hampton 2618 Leroy Drive $1,876.53 $1,876.53 Scott Blank, Cape Girardeau

Cecil Odom Dumais Street parcel, Cape Girardeau County $27.73 $27.73 Tim Gould, Cape Girardeau

Marshall Probst 1430 N. Spanish St. $776.12 no bid

Evangeline Mehner 724 N. Middle St. $1,306.59 $1,306.59 Herman Bodenstein, Cape Girardeau

Shannon and Carla Mungle 721 N. Spanish St. $431.68 $431.68 Shawn and Juanita Swift, Jackson

Shannon and Norma Mungle 701 N. Spanish St. $446.66 $446.66 Shawn and Juanita Swift, Jackson

Charles and Marie Clemons 402 North St. $760.21 no bid

Mortgage Corp. 806 N. Spanish St. $45.40 no bid

Thomas, Robert, Stephen Evans Whitewater and Emmons streets intersection $85.81 $250 Eric Alex Foster, Chaffee, Mo.

William and Lorraine Archer 219 Hillvale Drive $1,719.64 $1,719.64 Scott Blank, Cape Girardeau

William and Theresa Crites South Pind Wood Lane, Cape Girardeau County $375.84 $375.94 Herman Bodenstein

Scott McClanahan 1109 Merriwether St., rear $298.80 no bid

River City Health Clinic Inc. 224 N. Frederick St. $16,171.23 no bid

Shannon Mungle 214 S. Ellis St $2859.36 no bid

Patrick Johnson 517 S. Benton St. $801.98 $1,500 Krisinda Cook, Cape Girardeau

John and Glenna Knoblauch 530 S. Hanover St., $2,291.51 no bid

Donald and Teri Bradley 807 Maple St., $868.62 no bid

Betty Avant 631, 633 635 Good Hope St. $2,441.49 $,2441.49 Dave Hutson, Cape Girardeau

Wilson and Norma Mungle 838 S. Ellis St. $884.97 $884.97 Shawn and Juanita Swift, Jackson

Nancy Farmer 1036 S. Pacific St. $1,332.74 no bid

Lorene Jefferson 1016 S. Benton St. $607.11 $1,000 Krisinda Cook, Cape Girardeau

Helen Edwards 1004 Hickory St. $891.97 no bid

Archie and Loyce Maglone 1223 S. Pacific St. $311.51 no bid

Cynthia Higgins 418 Elm St. $113.35 no bid

Clyde and Marilyn Anglin 796 County Road 256, Cape Girardeau County $264.86 $2,700 Krisinda Cook, Cape Girardeau

Alvie and Dee Dean Henderson Street parcel $209.77 $209.77 Marlin and Thomas Moore Sr., Chaffee, Mo.

*In Cape Girardeau unless otherwise noted

Pertinent address:

1 Barton Square, Jackson, MO