Public Auction To Be Held Thursday

The Town of Harrison will auction off a one-family sized plot of land located off of Woodland road in West Harrison.  The public auction will be held at theon Thursday, Jan. 21, at 6:30pm.

There are currently no buildings on the land, but the lot is designed for a one-family sized residential building, according to the town of Harrison Law Department.  Although designed for a family dwelling, no one has lived there in recent memory.

"It (the land) is owned by the town," said Susan Albanese, who works for the Harrison Law Office.  "They had owned it for many years."

Bidding for the land will start at a minimum of $300,000.  From there, a live auction will ensue.  Anyone who fills out the proper paperwork, which includes tax information and social security number, will be eligible to bid during the live auction.

According to Jonathan Kraut, the town attorney who will handle the auction, this type of process is nothing new to Harrison.

"It's happened before in my recent memory," said Kraut.  "I wouldn't call it unusual."

The land, measured at 80 by 91.5 feet, was assessed at the minimum bid of $300,000 after a real estate committee made a recommendation to the town board.  The board then made a final decision on the exact number.

The land is located in a relatively isolated area about two miles away from downtown Harrison.

Money collected from the auction will go into the town's general fund, according to Kraut.  He added that the town will not have a clear picture of were the money will go until after the auction.

"That's kind of putting the kart before the horse," he said when asked about the towns plan for the money.

Once a buyer has been identified, he or she must make a 10 percent down payment on the final bid.  Bids from the auction will be held firm for 30 days and closing will occur within 60 days of acceptance bid, according to a notice distributed by the town of Harrison.

For a more detailed look at the auction process, please click on the document attached to this article.