The Town of Longmeadow, Massachusetts successfully sold the property at 386 Bliss Road at a public auction tonight. There were about 45-50 interested people in attendance with 10 registered bidders. The auction started slowly with an initial bid of $1000 but quickly moved to a much higher price before the serious bids emerged. The winning bid was then entered by Michael Albano, the former Mayor of Springfield at $137,000.
It is expected that the closing on the property will occur by September 14. It certainly appears that the town will recover all of its owed costs (+ extra) and will have transitioned this property out of deliquency and back onto the tax rolls. Congratulations to Mary Pequignot and others who played a role in making this a successful auction. A large portion of the $137,000 will likely be placed in the Longmeadow General Fund for FY2010 budget uses.
Below is a brief video that captures the essence of what happened.... if you have never been to a public auction it is worth viewing....
