SECRETARY CLARK, GREENVILLE MAYOR ANNOUNCE LAND TRANSFER FOR COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT
November 8, 2007 - Contacts: Kell Smith, 601-359-6349

Secretary of State Eric Clark and Greenville Mayor Heather McTeer-Hudson today announced that the State of Mississippi has transferred seventy-three parcels of land to the City of Greenville to help with revitalization of downtown Greenville.

“I am excited that we are able to work with Mayor Hudson to convert this property into a community asset,” Clark said. “We want to work with every city and county in Mississippi to help improve neighborhoods across our state.”

The property in Greenville is appraised at $169,380. The land transfer is part of Clark's neighborhood clean-up program where properties that come to the State for nonpayment of taxes may be transferred at no cost to local governments. The office also may sell land to private citizens at 50 percent of its appraised value. Clark said, “Our goal is to get these properties back into productive use—whether in the public or private sector.”

“When a piece of property comes to our office it means that the last private owner failed to pay the property taxes and no one bought it at the county tax sale,” Clark said. “The Secretary of State’s Office aggressively markets the tax forfeited properties to private individuals, and we also have donated tax-forfeited lands to local governments like Tupelo, Nettleton, Jackson, and Hancock County to help build up our local communities.”

Some questions and answers about the Secretary of State's Tax Forfeited Neighborhood Clean-up Program:

1. What are tax-forfeited lands?
Tax-forfeited lands are lands that default to the State for non-payment of county property taxes. The
Secretary of State’s Office offers these lands for sale to private owners or for donation to local governments for public uses and improvements through the Secretary of State’s neighborhood clean-up program.

2. How can a citizen find out what properties are available for sale?
The public lands division of the Secretary of State’s Office maintains a list of state-owned, tax-forfeited lands available for sale in each county. The office seeks to get these properties back into productive use and back onto the local tax rolls as quickly and efficiently as possible. For more information, call the public lands division at 601-359-6373 or visit the office’s website (www.sos.state.ms.us).

3. How can someone purchase tax-forfeited lands?
Priority is given first to an applicant who owned the property at the time it was forfeited and then on a first come first serve basis to those applying to purchase. A citizen may complete an application form and return it with the $2.50 application fee. The successful applicant will receive a letter listing the purchase price of the property. The deed is usually delivered within 60-90 days after receipt of payment. Applications for purchase are available for downloading from the Secretary of State’s website.

4. How much does a parcel ordinarily cost?
The cost of the property depends primarily on two factors: the amount of unpaid back taxes and the appraised value of the property. Property is offered for sale at 50 percent of its appraised value as shown on the tax rolls or for the total amount of unpaid back taxes and fees, whichever it greater.

5. Where does the money generated by these land sales go?
A portion of sales proceeds go to reimburse cities, counties, and school districts for local taxes and assessments owed. Sales also cover the Secretary of State Office’s expenses in maintaining and preserving the state’s public land records.

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