St. Louis County’s Tax Forfeited Land Auction Goes Online – Through June 11

A couple of times a year, St. Louis County holds a tax forfeited land auction to sell off parcels of land - with the intent of getting them back on the tax rolls.  Although the county has incorporated an online digital catalog and the ability to submit bids, the event has always been held in person.  Due to the current response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the county has made the decision to move the next auction to a version that's totally online.

Bidding is open right now on a variety of parcels up for sale - with a closing date of June 11.  Interested individuals can browse the online catalog to find the parcels they're interested in owning and then place their bid right on the website.  Click here to visit the site and to get started.

Up for sale this time around are seven formerly-blighted properties that have been cleaned up and structures removed to make way for new development; there are also more than a dozen houses for sale in communities located throughout the county - including Babbit, Cherry Township, Duluth, Ely, Eveleth, Gilbert, Hibbing, Proctor, Soudan, and Virginia; there are recreational land and buildable lots; in addition - six waterfront properties from the county's former lakeshore lease program are also being offered.

The St. Louis County Land and Minerals Department, with approval from the County Board, started offering tax forfeited properties for sale via online auction earlier this year as part of a pilot program, and so far has been able to sell six properties totaling nearly $125,000. Those properties had previously been offered for sale but remained unsold from an earlier live auction.

This current sale marks the first time that tax forfeited land in St. Louis County has been offered initially for sale in an online forum.  The online catalog is available for viewing, but interested parties can also call 218-726-2606 with their questions.