City County Observer
Dear Editor,
I read with interest your August 10, 2015, Is It True? concerning the issues raised about the offer my husband and I made last year on a vacant lot near our long-time home in downtown Evansville. Thank you for taking a balanced view of this fabricated issue, and for being a fair and objective window on events in our community.
Without going into a great deal of detail, I became aware of the vacant lot about a year ago and—knowing the fair market value for land in the downtown area—my husband and I made a generous offer of $500. Anyone, for your information, is permitted to buy land from Brownfields provided it is sold for fair market value. Brownfields thought the fair market value of the lot was $7300 and wouldn’t budge, so my husband and I dropped the matter. I did send an email to one of the Brownfields board members basically asking that he look into how Brownfields determines fair market values (since it seemed too high to me), and I did offer to show Brownfields how to appeal their property tax assessment to reduce its assessed value to a reasonable level, but that was the extent of my involvement.
I understand that someone else in the neighborhood who lives next to the vacant lot later made an offer of $1000 or so on the property, but I had no direct involvement with that.
The only motivation my husband and I had in offering to buy the vacant lot was so that we could keep it clean and mowed, remove the cost of maintenance of it from the city, and generally be good neighbors in keeping our area of the city in as good as shape as it can be, just as we have done with several other properties near our house over the years. We are both disappointed that we are being attacked for this.
Again, thank you for the article, and keep up the good work.
Very Truly Yours,
Cheryl Musgrave
Footnote: The City County Observer posted this e-mail sent to us by Cheryl Musgrave was posted without editing. Â
If you think the assessor’s valuation means market value, you might be a moron.
If you believe there is a single lot on Parrett St. that has a true worth of $7300, YOU might be a moron.
And if you think Cheryl Musgrave is a moron, your name should be Baghdad Bob.
Maybe you two didn’t read my comment? I’m saying she is correct, it is not worth the 7300.
Now I get it. It is one of those statements that loses some of its meaning if you don’t get the inflection of voice.
Always with the name calling. Get over yourself.
Why doesn’t the City auction off these vacant lots to put them back on the tax roll? That’s the best way to get the highest price from willing buyers, who will typically be neighbors.
Most of the “neighbors” are landlords who don’t want more grass to mow. Nobody wants those lots, Joe.
The Vanderburgh County Assessor shows 133 properties owned by Evansville Brownfields:
http://www.vanderburghassessor.org/GeneralSearch.aspx
The City of Evansville, and its departments and affiliates, are shown to own 420 properties:
http://www.vanderburghassessor.org/GeneralSearch.aspx
This includes 800 N. Main purchased for $535,000
http://www.vanderburghassessor.org/SalesDisclosures/C82-2014-2028656/2028656.pdf
and 614 Walnut Street (looks alot like the old Executive Inn)
http://www.vanderburghassessor.org/Default.aspx?PID=82-06-30-020-041.010-029
502-504 NW Fourth St purchased for $235,000
http://www.vanderburghassessor.org/SalesDisclosures/C82-2014-2024155/2024155.pdf
514-516 NW Fourth St purchased for $219,000
http://www.vanderburghassessor.org/SalesDisclosures/C82-2014-2024157/2024157.pdf
and finally 204 W Illinois
http://www.vanderburghassessor.org/Default.aspx?PID=82-06-19-026-036.020-029
I was referring to the Parrett St. area, where the Musgraves live.
Look at 310 Main street while your at it.****
Joe Biden:
I wonder if anyone else has noticed that the Vanderburgh County Assessor’s Office has stripped out of the “Sales Documentation” portion of these properties the documents showing the actual sale price.
Just a matter of a week or so ago the actual figure paid to the owner of 800 N Main was available on the website. Now the actual sale price for these properties has been removed.
Bill Fluty………..you got some splain’en to do!
elkaybee, For many of the lots there is a neighbor or neighborhood investor; that would be like the Musgraves’ willing to pay $ 500. No one real wants them enough to pay big money but people will take them and care for them. DMD is paying over $100,000 per year for mowing these properties.
That’s my point, George. The fact is that many of the lots abut rental property, so the “neighbor” isn’t interested. I think Brownfields should offer any single, residentially zoned lots to owner-occupants of abutting property for “$1 and other good and valuable considerations”, those considerations being the maintenance of the lots.
The DMD is operating their own private real estate venture with CDBG and city Dollars. They can take from the poor and give to the rich in order to make their projects look like a success. Most of the lots when purchased were supposed to have housing units built on them; however, DMD squandered the funds for construction and now the lot sits vacant. According to DMD, Coures, HUD said (city/brownfields) is to dispose of the lots by 2016. All the properties owned by the brownfields should be auctioned and revenues paid back to the city.
George, you should consider a Facebook page or website especially devoted to some of these topics and subjects. I know (and deeply appreciate) the stuff you personally post, but I think the spread of information could increase exponentially with some targeted marketing a specialized website or Facebook page could offer
Just a thought in appreciation of what you have been bringing to the table.
Keep up the great work
First how can you possibly do a story like this and not even mention the $ 20000 that Boren Developement llc was paid for the property by Evansville Brownfields. The real story is the amount of transactions between (Ron Boren) Boren Developement llc and DMD et al… gifts grants and purchases !!! Again however, and this is the really good part,
River City Builders transferred the property to Boren Developement llc on 7-30-09 ( deed in lieu ). Boren Developement llc sold the property to Brownfield on 8-29-09 for 20k. Now here is the really good part River City Builders inc could not legally transfer the property because they were no longer a legal corporation in the state of Indiana. They were administratively dissolved on 8-22-08. And could no longer transact business. Now… how do you unwind that and who did the title work. Yes, please, ask ms. Rusk WHO DID THE TITLE WORK. Even better, I would be willing to bet River City Builders had nothing to do with the transfers!!
Verification:
https://secure.in.gov/sos/online_corps/view_details.aspx?guid=82972C07-C2F5-4379-8BA3-909E495215AA
Very Interesting!
Boren to Evansville Brownfields conveyance:
Trustworthy Land Title Company Inc.
https://secure.in.gov/sos/online_corps/view_details_ppv.aspx
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The title work on the River City Builders to Boren conveyance was done by Evansville Titles.
I for one have been to tax sale auctions and have seen Mrs. Musgrave bid on properties at auction. I have no idea if she won any. This is by far the best way to determine the real fair market value on any given day. Although sometimes neighbors may be shocked by the prices to the good and the bad. The assessors i;m sure hate to see what some properties are truly worth since it helps with the tax base. I would rather see her buy a property at auction than have any number of people make deals ahead of time because they are in the know of what may be developed in the area. It seems to me Mrs. Musgrave is looking out for the neighborhood she resides in. If she pays the taxes and keeps up the property, good for her and her spouse.
Who assessed the lot on Parrett Street for $7300, Jonathan Weaver?
Yes, that is who was paid but, who actually did the work??
Cheryl,
Thanks for your concern and trying to taking care of your neighborhood.
” deals ahead of time ” Boren Developement llc owned the property for 29 days. You don”t think that there was already a deal in place !!!!!! An even bigger question was it occupied at time. Federal law prevents Evansville Brownfield from making offers on any property that has not been vacant for at least 90 days. A law they have constantly violated.
**( I was speaking of property that is rented )**
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