Approximately 80 Cowley County properties will be sold to the highest bidder during a county tax foreclosure sale at 9 a.m. March 31 in the assembly room at the courthouse in Winfield.
Owners of the properties have until 8:30 a.m. that morning to pay off the back taxes and redeem the property, according to Kathy Foust, county treasurer.
Properties included have at least three years back taxes owed. The purchaser doesn’t have to pay off the back taxes – just bid higher than anyone else, she said.
The properties vary and are scattered across the county. The cities of Winfield and Arkansas City have about an equal number of property for sale. Silverdale has a few pieces. Some properties have houses – some do not.
A list of the property involved is available in the treasurer’s office. Foust will mail copies on request until March 20. After that, the list will have to be picked up in person. Maps are located in the county appraiser’s office to locate the properties.
Sheriff Don Read will conduct the sale. Payment will have to be made the same day by cash or check.
The last foreclosure sale was in 2006. Foust said the crowd packed the meeting room. Foreclosure sales usually last most of the morning.
"We had an excellent turnout last time," she said. "Hopefully, we’ll have a good sale this time, too."
