Sep. 20—Wilkes-Barre resident Antonio Mannino’s purchase of a Butler Township property prompted a round of applause at last week’s main annual first-stage Luzerne County delinquent tax auction because competition drove the price so high.
Bidding started at $43,673 and quickly escalated beyond the $100,000 and $200,000 marks.
Mannino ended up acquiring the property for $320,000.
As bidders clapped, Mannino received an expression of gratitude from Sam Falcone, who led the auction as an attorney for Elite Revenue Solutions, the county’s tax-claim operator.
In addition to paying the highest price for a single parcel in Thursday’s auction, Mannino was the top buyer overall, acquiring 31 properties for a total $1.234 million.
The Butler Township property at 270 N. Old Turnpike Road contains a 3,300-square-foot residential structure with a 1,064-square-foot attached garage on nine acres, according to the assessor’s office. The property is assessed at $460,200.
Mannino said he expects the structure will need work based on experience.
Buyers have no authority to physically inspect their purchases in advance and are advised against entering properties they purchased until they receive the deed.
Thursday’s auction carried greater risk because it was an “upset” sale in which buyers must accept responsibility for any outstanding mortgages and non-municipal liens attached to their purchases.
The minimum bids are set at the amount of delinquent taxes and municipal liens owed.
“It’s a very risky business and a lot of work,” said Mannino, who has been acquiring properties in the county’s tax auctions for more than 30 years.
Tax sale prices have been climbing as the auctions attract more bidders due to increased public awareness about the opportunity and heightened interest in potential bargains that may not be available through the traditional real estate market, officials have said.
“The values of properties in Luzerne County have increased drastically,” Mannino said.
He recalled the first county auctions he attended decades ago, saying they were held in a small room on an upper floor in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, with 15 bidders at most.
The auctions later expanded to the courthouse jury room and then the rotunda, but the crowds got too big. Hundreds now register for each auction held at the King’s College Scandlon Gymnasium in Wilkes-Barre.
“I think Elite has done an extraordinary job presenting and bringing these auctions to the public so properties can be put back on the tax rolls,” Mannino said.
Mannino said tax auctions ensure the county, school districts and municipalities receive real estate tax revenue required to provide services. For example, he said municipalities are in “dire need” of tax collections to fund police coverage and roads.
“We don’t need empty buildings in our municipalities,” he said.
Auction tally
In total, bidders paid $4.2 million, which includes transfer tax, to acquire 127 properties, said Elite Revenue representative Sean Shamany.
This is close to last year’s record September upset sale high of 164 parcels sold for $4.6 million.
Of the 127 properties sold last week, 43 were for the minimum bid, with those amounts ranging from $614 to $38,593.
Multiple bidders were interested in the remaining 84 sold properties, which means proceeds remained after the outstanding real estate taxes and municipal liens were paid.
In such situations, excess funds are applied toward remaining debts attached to a property, such as mortgages and other liens, Elite Revenue said. If any funds remain after that, they would be returned to the original property owner.
Top sales
Thirteen properties sold for more than $75,000, including the Butler Township one purchased by Mannino.
The other stated purchase locations, buyers and purchase amounts, according to post-sale reports:
—631 Ann St., Duryea; Cab Group LLC, East Stroudsburg; $76,000.
—87 Welles St., Forty Fort; RB Investment Group LLC, Kingston; $82,000.
—1523 Lakeside Dr., Harveys Lake; Margo Miller, Bradenton, Florida; $77,000.
—735 Winters Ave., Hazle Township; Balam Realty Group LLC, Muncy; $78,000.
—821 N. James St., Hazleton; Balam Realty Group LLC; $112,000.
—412 Kiefer Ave., Hazleton; Balam Realty Group LLC; $124,000.
—18 Bowman St., Kingston; Cab Group LLC; $81,000.
—94 N. Meade St., Wilkes-Barre; Cab Group LLC; $91,000.
—475 S. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre; Antonio Mannino; $104,000.
—201 Carey Ave., Wilkes-Barre; Antonio Mannino; $100,000.
—113 Prospect St., Wilkes-Barre; Celia Pichardo Veras, New York City; $88,000.
—536 Carey Ave., Wilkes-Barre; Francisco Fermin Blanco, Lake Mary, Florida; $93,000.
Unsold
The 252 parcels not purchased last week will advance to a free-and-clear “judicial” sale in 2026, when delinquent taxes and liens are removed from the minimum bid.
Properties were eligible for last week’s auction if the owners owed taxes dating back two years, or 2023.
Approximately 3,098 parcels were eligible for last week’s auction when Elite Revenue started compiling the sale list in June.
To avoid a sale, owners could pay everything owed through 2023, enter into a standard payment plan if they haven’t defaulted on one the prior three years or obtain temporary removal through a court order or bankruptcy.
Thousands have paid, as evidenced by the drastic reduction from those initially eligible and the 379 parcels announced for sale last week.
Next step
Once he receives the tax-claim deeds, Mannino said he must resolve outstanding liens attached to the properties he purchased so they have clear titles necessary to make them marketable.
He also works with contractors to bring properties up to building code standards and determines if they will be rented or sold. Properties purchased from tax auctions often have been “severely neglected,” he said.
“Every property comes with a story,” he said.
Two of the properties he purchased have been condemned — a status Elite Revenue discloses at the auction to make bidders aware of the additional ramifications.
Multiple bidders still competed for three of the condemned properties in the sale, while the remaining two did not sell.
Mannino acquired one condemned property at 44 Leopold St. in Hanover Township for $6,500 and another at 310 Wyoming Ave. in Kingston for $24,000.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.