Bids opened for Lynchburg properties

The Highland County Land Reutilization Corporation (land bank) opened multiple bids for multiple Lynchburg properties for the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Grant Program (BDSRGP) at its monthly meeting.

The nine bids are as follows:

*Reed Mechanical for $5,930 at 205 S. Broadway St. and $33,500 at 213 S. Broadway St. for a total bid of $39,430.

*Rippstein’s Excavating for $9,000 at 205 S. Broadway St. and $22,300 at 213 S. Broadway St. for a total bid of $31,300.

*Baumann Enterprises for $22,000 at 205 S. Broadway St. and $60,000 at 213 S. Broadway St. for a total bid of $82,000.

*Zeuch Construction for $10,800 at 205 S. Broadway St. and $29,760 at 213 S. Broadway St. for a total bid of $40,560.

*KMB Demolition and Excavating for $10,250 at 205 S. Broadway St. and $32,750 at 213 S. Broadway St. for a total bid of $43,000.

*Victory Excavating and Demolition for $5,600 at 205 S. Broadway St. and $28,000 at 213 S. Broadway St. for a total bid of $38,800.

*Lamb Brothers Trucking and Excavating for $7,000 at 205 S. Broadway St. and $48,000 at 213 S. Broadway St. for a total bid of $55,000.

*O’Rourke Wrecking for $35,400 at 205 S. Broadway St. and $58,400 at 213 S. Broadway St. for a total bid of $93,800.

*Evans Landscaping for $9,990 at 205 S. Broadway St. and $12,750 at 213 S. Broadway St. for a total bid of $22,700.

Jason Johansen, land bank coordinator, said none of the projects can be awarded yet, however. He said the land bank is still waiting on the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) to get back to them about their application for both the Brownfield and BDSRGP.

He said that after they receive their application approval¸ the land bank would call a special meeting to award all of the bids and sign all of the contracts so work could get started. Johansen said that he spoke to Ohio Land Bank Director Shawn Carvin who said it “should” be any day now.

Johansen did also say that because of the application not having been approved yet, the completion deadline of Dec. 31, 2024, would “probably” be pushed back and the ODOD deadline of May 1, 2025, would “definitely” be pushed back.

In other news, Johansen discussed deed restrictions and other Homeowners Associations (HOA) related topics with people from Highland Holiday.

Craig Rambo, a homeowner at Highland Holiday, and Skip Henderson, president of the HOA, were in attendance at the meeting to discuss the situation there.

Rambo said he’s been working with Dave Daniels, a member of the land bank and chairman of the board of commissioners, who suggested the organization send five of its worst properties a letter, saying they would need to respond within 15 days. Rambo said that following that, two of the five properties are already potentially for sale now.

He said they have a potential interest in improving the community but they are also challenged “in some respect.” However, he also said they haven’t been shy in letting people know they’ve been working with the land bank, saying he thinks that’s evoked a “positive” response.

Arleen McGarvey, a concerned property owner in that area, responded to this by saying that she feels “ashamed” that someone outside of the community needs to come and clean up what the board isn’t. She also said she pays dues to make sure people keep their properties.

Lauren Walker, the City of Hillsboro’s representative on the land bank board, said the land bank is more focused on tax delinquent properties and vacant land, saying that she doesn’t “feel” that enforcement of an HOA should be a land bank problem.

Concerning the enforcement issue, Rambo said HOAs have never had fees of any significance, meaning trying to afford an attorney to work on the enforcement would be difficult. He said the HOA doesn’t have the resources to even vote to raise fees because of the people “leaving crummy properties” diminishes its ability to improve the community’s occupancy.

“And frankly, and my opinion is, the county is allowing properties with taxes exceeding several $1000 to sit uncollected … So part of my viewpoint is that the county is a part of the source of the problem and there should be some responsibility to help this community by collecting the taxes or forcing those properties who are not paying taxes to collect, to pay up because the rest of us are paying taxes,” Rambo said.

Mcgarvey then commented that the board will send letters to people saying they would foreclose or put a lien on their property, but then nothing is done or followed through with in terms of that.

Henderson responded by saying that in order for them to take somebody to court, they need to file and give that to the clerk at the court, which would then be sent to the property owner or whoever it’s addressed to. He said, however, that if the person doesn’t sign the document, he’s wasted the HOA’s money.

Richard Counter, a Madison Township property owner, was also in attendance to voice his complaints about a property he reported to the land bank in May 2021. He said he wrote a letter to the land bank director at that time about a property across the street from one of his which had delinquent taxes which went “on and on” throughout the county.

He said, following this request, he’s written letters and come to “many” meetings and there has been no traction on it. Counter said that it’s “evident” there are pieces of property in the county which are delinquent on their taxes and the county isn’t “interested” in collecting on them.

“There’s nobody interested in collecting the tax but you’re interested in collecting taxes from us that pay it … “Let’s just tell them that’s fine,” Counter said. “We don’t want taxes. Maybe say it out loud. In the county, you don’t have to pay your taxes because we’re not going to run after you anyway.”

Terry Britton, a member of the land bank board and board of commissioners, said tax foreclosure takes “a long time.”

Johansen said that for the specific property Counter mentioned, the land bank decided against the foreclosure route because they wanted it to go through one of its demolition programs.

However, he said that he’s also “frustrated” because he’s been with the land bank for 15 months and hasn’t seen one expedited foreclosure come back to the land bank after starting one. Johansen said the land bank can only do what it can do and the other departments have their part to do.

The land bank board also had multiple other property updates, which are as follows:

*The land bank board moved to be the receiver of 125 ½ W. Main St. in Leesburg. Johansen said it would need to be cleaned up and do whatever demolition is needed, after which the land bank would sell it.

*The land bank board also agreed to the donation of 10635 North Shore Rd. in Hillsboro. Johansen said there is a mobile home on the property the land bank is working on removing but can still acquire the property and remove it after.

*Johansen reported that the land bank is the “proud owner” of 11923 Elmhurst Tl. in Hillsboro. He said the cleanup required at the property shouldn’t be “too costly.”

*Johansen said the land bank is working through the donation for 326 ½ N. East St.

*Johansen said the land bank will be discussing 11470 Spruance Rd. in Hillsboro with the Marshall Township Trustees, saying they have an interest in the property. He said the land bank told the Prosecutor’s Office that they believe there are underground storage tanks under the property and also a mobile home full of tires on the property. He also said these are both environmental issues which the land bank can get grant funding to address.

The next meeting of the land bank will take place on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, at 9 a.m.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.