Elkins to Auction 3 Residential Properties Friday

Elkins, W. Va., November 10, 2020: At 10 a.m. this Friday, the City of Elkins will offer three residential properties for sale by auction, as-is, in the lobby of Elkins City Hall. Winning bidders will need to immediately remit 10 percent of their winning bids in the form of cash or a certified check and must pay the remaining balance within 30 days.

“Each of these properties followed a different path to this point, but they were all the subject of code enforcement actions and eventually the city was able to obtain deeds to all three,” says Geraldine Roberts, the Elkins city attorney. “The dilapidated structures have been demolished and removed, so these are bare plots of land. Potential bidders need to do their due diligence and understand any legal or physical limitations that might apply to how these properties may be used.”

The properties are:

• 108 Orchard Street
• 210 Cherokee Street,
• 100 Adams Street (formerly 100 North Washington Avenue)

“Because of due process and other legal requirements for dealing with these kinds of properties, the journey from a derelict structure to a cleared piece of land that the city can auction off is always a long one,” says Roberts. “Even if the city demolishes a dangerous structure as an immediate safety hazard, we don’t automatically obtain title and might never recoup our costs. However, in these three cases, we were able to negotiate obtaining ownership from the owners of record, and that’s why we’re in a position to auction these properties off.”

Roberts hopes Elkins residents and others with a stake in the city will recognize these auctions as representing progress in the city’s code enforcement efforts.

“Elkins continues to have issues with neglected properties,” says Roberts, “but it’s important to recognize and celebrate the auction of these three properties as the success story it is.”

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