City of Fort Madison, IA

05/19/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/19/2022 13:26

City of Fort Madison to participate in Public Nuisance Tax Sale

The City of Fort Madison has determined 25 abandoned properties in Fort Madison are hereby to be placed in the Lee County Treasurer's yearly Public Nuisance Tax Sale. The City is seeking developers, neighbors, and interested parties who would like to acquire these properties through the Public Nuisance Tax Sale process. The properties can be purchased for rehabilitation or demolition but must be completed in a timely manner once in possession.

The steps to the process are:

  1. The City has deemed a property as abandoned property and a nuisance;
  2. A qualified developer (adjoining property owner, contractor, potential home owner) signs a development agreement with the City to rehabilitate the property;
  3. The County then pulls the property from the normal tax sale and sells the certificate exclusively to the qualified developer the City has a signed agreement with;
  4. The County holds the Public Nuisance Tax Sale with City staff members and Developers present on June 21;
  5. The "developer" pays the delinquent property taxes (and/or outstanding tax certificates);
  6. 90 days after the Public Nuisance Tax Sale, the developer can begin the redemption process (includes mailing of notices);
  7. If no one steps up to pay the developer the delinquent property taxes (and/or outstanding tax certificates) within 90 days of notice being mailed, the developer can request the County Treasurer for a tax sale deed to the property;
  8. Following receipt of the tax sale deed, the developer can then rehabilitate according to the development agreement or demolish the structure.

Interested parties may contact Planning and Zoning Director Doug Krogmeier at (319) 372-7700, ext. 212 or [email protected], or City Clerk Melinda Blind at (319) 372-7700, ext. 206 or [email protected] for a list of these properties. All potential "developers" are encouraged to learn more about the process, including the steps for the redemption process. The deadline to apply for a property is June 6, 2022.

All these properties are considered nuisances by the City and the nuisance process will continue until such time until the nuisance is abated.