There were 64 properties auctioned by Bourbon County Counselor and Assistant County AttorneyJustin Meeks on Jan. 13 at the courthouse, County Treasurer Patty Love said.

“50 properties sold for a total of $129,408.40,” she said. “The 14 properties that didn’t sell were properties inside the city of Fort Scott that had a minimum bid which was a total of the Special Assessment levied against the property by the city for mowing and demolition. Those properties that didn’t sell have now been transferred to the Land Bank.”

There was a total of 78 bidders present at the tax sale, she said.

There were originally 78 properties scheduled to be sold on the tax sale, but some were taken from the list by Meeks, she said.

“Justin pulled seven of them for legal reasons and seven were redeemed by the owners paying all taxes and the court filing fee,” Love said.

“The money received will be applied to taxes owed on individual properties and will be distributed to the taxing entities,” Rhonda Dunn,  Bourbon County Treasurer’s Clerk. said.

The tax entities are the City of Fort Scott, the  Bourbon County government, and the county’s two school districts- USD 234 and USD 235.

“They are distributed based on mill levy of each entity and the year the previous owner owed it for,” Dunn said.

The next tax sale is scheduled for May 19, according to Dunn.

It’s been five years since the last tax auction, Dunn said.