The Niagara Falls Community Development department will host the 2018 Niagara Falls Home Ownership Auction at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 19, in the City Hall Council Chambers. The auction will feature 10 homes the City of Niagara Falls owns due to recent tax foreclosure. It serves as an alternative to the standard IN-REM tax foreclosure auction.
Director of Community Development/Code Enforcement Seth Piccirillo said, "The standard tax foreclosure auction process does not provide clear results or encourage owner occupancy. There is a better way. We welcome the public to learn more about this year's Home Ownership Auction and to build equity through home ownership in Niagara Falls."
For the first time, Niagara Falls Community Development will provide renovation cost estimates for each auction house and a reviewable "terms of sale" document, in addition to a code violation report.
Interested bidders are invited to the following informational sessions at Niagara Falls City Hall to learn more about the auction process, the specific homes being offered, and scheduled open house tours for each of the properties:
Informational Sessions
•Monday, May 14, 6 p.m.
City Council Chambers - Niagara Falls City Hall, 745 Main St.
•Tuesday, May 15, 1 p.m.
City Council Chambers - Niagara Falls City Hall
As with the four previous Niagara Falls Community Development Home Ownership Auction events, successful bidders must agree to own and live in the home as prime occupant for no less than five years as well as:
•Submit a $500 bidder bond on auction day that will be repaid upon completion of the renovation and 10 percent of their successful bid for auctioneer fees.
•Agree to renovate the property to municipal code compliance within 12 months of purchase, unless an extended time period is designated.
•Submit a renovation plan, designating work to be completed by the owner and/or contractors, as well as financial ability to execute the renovation prior to completing the sale agreement with the City of Niagara Falls.
•Pay the appropriate/applicable city, county, water board and school district taxes at time of closing.
If terms are not met after the purchase of the property, ownership will revert back to the City of Niagara Falls.
Interested bidders can visit
https://nf-cd.org/auction/ to download a full information packet, renovation estimates, code violation reports and to learn more about the process. Interested bidders can also email Paul Martell, home ownership specialist, at
[email protected], to ask questions. Paper copies of the information packet will also be available at The Carnegie Building, 1022 Main St., Niagara Falls.
2018 Niagara Falls Home Ownership Auction - Dates To Know
Auction Date:
- Tuesday, June 19; Registration: 5 p.m., Auction: 6:30 p.m.; City Council Chambers - Niagara Falls City Hall
Open House Tours:
- Wednesday, June 6, 1-3 p.m.; Community Development staff will be at each Home Ownership Auction property
Thursday, June 7, 1-3 p.m.; Community Development staff will be at each Home Ownership Auction property
Informational Sessions:
- Monday, May 14, 6 p.m.; City Council Chambers - Niagara Falls City Hall
- Tuesday, May 15, 1 p.m.; City Council Chambers - Niagara Falls City Hall
•The Niagara Falls Community Development Department has an opportunity to accept a "Build It With kaBoom!" Grant to create a park/playground on the 400 Block of 7th Street.
The goal is to create opportunities for free play in every Niagara Falls neighborhood. This grant would allow the creation of a public space for young people without the use of local taxpayer dollars.
Niagara Falls Community Development is hosting an open meeting Thursday, May 3, to get public input from the surrounding neighborhood before moving forward.
The "Build It With Kaboom!" Grant opportunity, if accepted, would create a 2,500-square-foot playground at the site. This grant includes the community design, equipment and organization of the actual three-day build process.
"Neighborhood projects are only successful through neighborhood consensus. This grant would include a three month design process, but we do not want to move forward without hearing any ideas, thoughts or concerns from the neighborhood that directly surrounds the site," Piccirillo said.
The meeting begins at 4 p.m. at 607 Walnut Ave., Niagara Falls (Walnut Avenue Homes Community Room - former school district administrative building, now Walnut Avenue Homes Apartments).
