City council agrees to sell Hairston Street house | News … – Martinsville Bulletin

MARTINSVILLELike many property owners, the city is finding out that houses dont always sell for what theyre worth, or even what is being asked for them.

While seated as the citys Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Martinsville City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to sell a house that was damaged by a ruptured sewer line for $15,000.

Tax records show the property, at 310 Hairston St. near Starling Avenue, is valued at $48,700. The city bought the house from its unidentified owner for $33,000 to fix the line, which ran under the structure.

The eight-inch-in-diameter line running under the vacant house ruptured earlier this year, resulting in city crews having to pump sewage out of the basement through a nearby manhole every couple of days. Nobody apparently knew the line was there. City officials hired a cleaning service to clean up inside the house, installed a new underground line around the home and connected the building to the new line, according to City Manager Leon Towarnicki.

The city then put the house on the market for $20,000. Towarnicki told the council that it received one offer for $12,500. He said Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director Wayne Knox negotiated with the bidders and convinced them to increase their bid to $15,000.

The house is being sold as is, where is, like is, Councilwoman Kathy Lawson said with a chuckle while making the motion to sell it.

The unidentified new owners plan to live there, renovate the house and install new heating, cooling and plumbing systems, Towarnicki said.

Although the house was sold for less than the city requested, at least it returns the house to the tax rolls so revenue can be generated from it in the future, he said.

Neither he nor Knox could be reached Wednesday for further comment.

Also Tuesday, the council recognized Patrick Henry Elementary School student Treylan Beamer for his recent accomplishments in the Elks Lodge National Hoop Shoot basketball free throw competition.

Beamer won local, district, state and regional competitions in the age group for eight- and nine-year-old boys. He then advanced to national competition in Chicago at the end of April, placing fourth.

That was a remarkable achievement, a proclamation that Mayor Gene Teague presented him reads, considering over 40,000 players participated nationwide in the competition.

The council learned that a community job fair planned June 14 will include shuttle service for area residents needing transportation to it.

Lisa Fultz, executive director of the West Piedmont Workforce Development Board, said more information about the fair will be announced soon.

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City council agrees to sell Hairston Street house | News ... - Martinsville Bulletin