The non-profit and San Mateo County management could do nothing to prevent this land sale?
Half Moon Bay Review/Mark Noack, 8/27/13. "Moss Beach Park sold at auction."
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| Moss Beach lost its children's park |
.... Miramar resident Neil Merrilees, one of the organizers who helped build the playground, believed from talking to county officials that the property was bought by a developer for about $100,000.
.... One of the only children’s playgrounds on the Midcoast, the park had a storied history as a recreation space built and paid for by the local families. Starting in 2004, the Coastside Preservation group held fundraisers and volunteer workdays to establish the property as a formal playground. .... News of the property’s sale came as a shock to both volunteers and county officials. ... " Read article.
Reference - Every trail.com/Moss Beach Park. "A free community-built park that kids of all ages will enjoy. Includes sandboxes, swings, slides and much more. If you've driven here from a distance, take kids here before you drive home and you'll be sure to have a quiet ride." Photograph from this article.
Update - Half Moon Bay Review/Mark Noack, 8/29/13. “The county doesn’t just reverse transactions unless there’s a good faith basis,” he said. “This may, in fact, be one of those circumstances.” If the sale was reversed, the Pacifica buyer would receive a refund. But the park would still be considered in default for more than $8,000 in property taxes. County attorneys also are investigating the 1975 deed to the property, uncovered Thursday by Half Moon Bay resident John Charles Ullom. The deed transferred ownership of the land to the Coastside Preservation group on the condition that it be used for “park, recreation and community service purposes for the general public, forever…” The document could mean the new buyer is prohibited from developing the land, Beier said."
Update - Half Moon Bay Review/Staff, 8/30/13. "During a meeting I held with the Tax Collector’s Office and County Counsel this morning, the Tax Collector’s Office agreed to cancel the sale provided that the outstanding property tax, amounting to $8,035.79, is paid in full by September 16. With just over two weeks to collect these funds, it may be tight but I know that together we can do it."
Update - Half Moon Bay Review/Mark Noack, 8/30/13. "Park supporters have pointed out that the sale never would have gone forward if the county had informed the Midcoast community in advance. A spokeswoman with the County Tax Collector’s Office said her office followed standard protocol, publishing notice in the San Mateo County Times and sending a letter to the nonprofit’s last address on file. However, the Coastside Preservation’s last address, a Moss Beach P.O. Box, was no longer in use. --- In his letter, Horsley pointed out that the community and county would need to hastily find ways to raise money to pay this bill. He announced a new meeting to discuss the park, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sept. 4. at the Farallone View Elementary School."
Posted by Kathy Meeh
19 comments:
piss poor planning always leads to a piss poor performance.
they didn't pay the tax bill, and someone else bought the property.
Does anyone know the story about Bohnannan? The guy who built Hillsdale Shopping Center. He would buy every property he could from farmers who couldn't pay their county taxes. He owed from SF Bay up to CSM at one time.
Nice Freudian slip in that last sentence. Bohannon would've laughed.
This parcel was bought at auction for less than $10K by a guy described as a Pacifica resident and developer. Hey man, charity starts at home. Could this be a really wonky potential development strategy for Pacifica? Just fail to pay the property taxes on city owned properties and watch them snapped up at auction and then developed into something? I know the properties are valuable but it's not like we're making anything off them, or ever will. At least we could get taxes and fees and jobs out of the deal. Just kidding.
1003 which part is "just kidding"?
Ooops, correction, minimum bid was $8,444 to cover the delinquent taxes. Pacifica developer got it with bid of $96,500. Bet he builds some houses. Histrionics over the lost park have commenced.
Interesting factoid, the previous owner, a non-profit, has one year to request a refund of the amount paid above the tax bill from the county. Otherwise, the county keeps all $96,500.
Mike O'Connell the guy who owns the parcel on Rosita in front of the old Linda Mar school. The turn about who wanted to build a couple houses on the site.
Good for him, but most tax defaults get cured in the redeption period.
Most of the property that goes tax default are properties that are landlocked and pretty much worthless.
12:57
I am on my first cup of coffee, but I still can not see what you are talking about.
Oh you're talking about the parcel on Rosita next to the school with the big pretty new house on it? Nice work. In HMB the non-profit that owned the playground hasn't been heard from in years, dead PO Box, etc. It's a good spot for houses, condos, etc. Let's hope the developer has no problems. Better yet, let's hope he buys some more property in Pacifica.
Excuse me, I think I said HMB but it's really Moss Beach. Everything south of the slide til you hit Santa Cruz is HMB to me!
Ooh, it's that old consent agenda voodoo. The Board of Supes has to approve all real estate going to auction for unpaid taxes. They usually do it on a consent agenda. This park was approved for auction in April on the Supes consent agenda. Probably within a list of tax default properties. Now, everybody is asking how this could happen? Community in an uproar. The non-profit seems to have evaporated, lost their non-profit status, no contact. Didn't pay the property taxes for at least 5 years. Didn't file their non-profit tax returns for 3 years and lost their non-profit status years ago. Sale is final on
Sept 18. Prior to that date, the county can void the sale if they find a procedural error. After that date, it belongs to the new owner.
We in Pacifica are familiar with the magic of consent agendas. You've got to pay attention!
"Dozens of families gathered to show support for Moss Beach Park at a packed Midcoast Community Council meeting on Wednesday night. They urge any action necessary to save it." .... A Pacifica developer took the property with a bid of $96,500. He has announced no plans for the property so far. ....Past board members for the Coastside Preservation group are still trying to learn how the nonprofit defaulted on its obligations." Half Moon Bay Review/Mark Noack, 8/29/13.
I kinda doubt the County will find a procedural error enabling them to void the sale. The road to public auction of a property for failure to pay property taxes is a long one. 5 or 6 years in this case. Notices mailed, ads in the local paper, probably an attempt to locate the owner of record if mail is ret'd. The new owner has rights, too. Sell it, donate it or use it. You think people down that way remember Chop Keenan?
How they missed this? Someone dropped the ball. This was posted in the paper and the county posts tax defaulters for 5-6 years.
Typical liberal mentality blaming the guy who purchased the property at tax sale and not the non profit who lost the property.
Update...“The county doesn’t just reverse transactions unless there’s a good faith basis,” he said. “This may, in fact, be one of those circumstances.” If the sale was reversed, the Pacifica buyer would receive a refund. But the park would still be considered in default for more than $8,000 in property taxes. County attorneys also are investigating the 1975 deed to the property, uncovered Thursday by Half Moon Bay resident John Charles Ullom. The deed transferred ownership of the land to the Coastside Preservation group on the condition that it be used for “park, recreation and community service purposes for the general public, forever…” The document could mean the new buyer is prohibited from developing the land, Beier said." Half Moon Bay Review/Mark Noack, 8/29/13.
No doubt Mr. O'Connell bought the property fair and square. But... and I have a big one... he's bought peoples toys and playground. Like the SPGC mess, you don't take away peoples toys.
Again the land was bought fair and square, the custodian(s) effed up, but this is a singularly unique spot for kids mid coast.
I would hope Mr. O'Connell gets his money back and a gracious bonus, the county (us) forgive the current tax debt and somehow the area becomes a county park.
Why it was never designated a county park to begin with...
Yeah, a huge amount of mistakes were made, none of them the buyers fault, but he bought a playground.
A lot of county and municipal employees live in and around that area. I'm sure there will be a solution to all this before it turns into a really grim bit of Victorian Era literature.
Horsley says the sale is being reversed. Buyer will get a refund and the Community will scramble to pay off the approx. $8500 defaulted tax bill fast. Unclear if the deadline is still Sept 18--the date the sale was to become final. Among other details...the property was listed for on-line auction by parcel# and the accompanying photo was of a different property. Also, it appears no one at the county tax office tried to contact the community about the park being in jeopardy after the non-prof owner failed to respond. Oopsie.
Two new article updates, Moss Beach community scrambling to save their children's park. Thanks for the "heads up" 4:47 PM.
And, seems a savvy community member discovered some possible deed restrictions that would limit the property use to recreational, community use, etc. Pacifica is not alone with its land use quirks. Our Sanchez Library is encumbered in similar fashion.
Good people to the rescue! The Shenkman family, the owners of Sam's Chowder House in HMB, have offered to pay the $8500 delinquent tax bill for the Moss Beach Community Park. What would the Coastside be without people like the Shenkman's, the Gust's, Julie Mazzetti, and so many other concerned business owners past and present?
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