PORT ANGELES — The minimum bid for the former Port Angeles Haggen grocery building has been dropped, the president of the company auctioning the shuttered structure said Monday evening.
The starting bid was originally $250,000, but Jeb Howell, president of Auction Management Corp., said the seller decided to sell the property “absolute,” a measure changing the minimum bid to ensure the property sells.
“They said they just really want to make sure [it is] sold,” he said of the vacant store at 114 E. Lauridsen Blvd. “They want to make sure it’s sold at the end of the day.”
The auction is set to end at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
At 5 p.m. Monday, there was a $25,000 bid on the property.
Howell said there has been interest in the property from grocery chains and “other sectors,” he said.
“There’s other alternate uses in mind for that property as well,” he added.
He said he couldn’t disclose who was interested in the property, but said some were especially interested if it was auctioned absolute.
He said his company pre-qualifies bidders before they can place a bid.
The deadline for closing on the sale is Sept. 18.
The Port Angeles property is appraised at $4,787,471 taxable value, and the owner, Spirit SPE HG2015-1 LLC, is behind on its taxes, according to county records.
The company did not pay the second half of its property taxes for 2016 and owes the county $59,306, which includes $27,109 for the second half of this year’s taxes that aren’t due until Oct. 31.
It was also charged a $2,201 penalty and faces $2,577 in interest for the overdue 2016 property taxes.
The company acquired the property from ABS WA-O LLC in February 2015 for $9,567,378.
The auction can be found online at amcbid.com.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com.
