Monday, November 21, 2011

Attempt To Peddle Recently Tax-Foreclosed Home Squleched By Cops; Unlicensed Sales Agent Says She Had No Idea Of Change In Property's Ownership Status

In St. Paul, Minnesota, the Pioneer Press reports:
  • The sign said the home at 806 Edmund Ave. in St. Paul was for sale and the buyer could get it "cheap" - at a 50 percent discount. Cash only.


  • But there's a catch: The seller doesn't own the house. The state of Minnesota does. The state took ownership of the home Aug. 2 after the owner failed to pay taxes, said Kris Kujala, a supervisor for tax-forfeited land in Ramsey County, which manages the state-owned property.


  • County employees were tipped off Nov. 1 when they drove by the home and saw the for-sale sign. "We just came to a screeching halt and thought, 'What is going on here?' " Kujala said.


  • City police were called, and a meeting was set up with the seller, she said. The woman, who said she was working on behalf of the owner, apparently didn't know the state had acquired the home.

For more, see St. Paul house's sale price a steal - but seller didn't own it.