Another round in the upset bidding procedure for the former Sampson County EMS property saw the highest bid raised by 60%, from $50,000 to $80,000. The process is ongoing.
Current amount more than triple initial bid
A move to allow market conditions to dictate the worth of the former Sampson County Emergency Management Services property in Clinton is seemingly trending in a positive direction for the county. Bidding stands at $80,000 with still another week to go in this round of the upset bid procedure, which has seen the price tag for the site triple since last month.
The highest qualified upset bid is currently $80,000, submitted by Tara Jackson. Her bid was unsealed last week, kicking off another round of bidding for the county-owned site off U.S. 701 Business and Underwood Street.
Jackson’s bid was 60% higher than the previous highest bid from Michele Hinson, whose $50,000 bid was double the initial $25,000 submitted by Matthews Drug Store. Juanita Brewington, the county’s purchasing and contracting officer, said no upset bids have been received thus far for this round.
Bidding closes at 2 p.m. May 21. A qualifying higher bid must raise the existing offer to an amount not less than $84,050.
Once upset bids are opened, if a qualifying higher bid is received, a new notice of upset bid is published and that starts another 10-day period for submission of upset bids. If qualified upset bids are received, the process repeats until no additional qualifying upset bid are submitted.
When a 10-day period has passed and no qualifying higher bid is received, the highest bid will be reported to the Board of Commissioners.
Last month, the Sampson County Board of Commissioners unanimously authorized the sale of the property, a formality that initiated the upset bid process. The board expressed its hope at that time to sell the EMS property by July 1, 2024.
As part of the upset bid process, the offeror is required to deposit 5% of the bid amount with the board clerk, who then publishes an advertisement for eligible upset bids — which would have to equal 10% of the first $1,000 of the original offer and 5% of the remainder and be received within 10 days after the date of the advertisement, accompanied by a bid bond or deposit.
Once the bid is accepted and advertised, others will have a 10-day period to submit bids over the top of that high bid.
In January, commissioners directed staff to resume informally soliciting and negotiating offers on the Underwood Street property, to exclude the portion that includes the Sampson County Veterans Park, which county leaders have assured will stay where it is.
The board previously expressed its interest in divesting itself of any ownership interest in and financial responsibility for the aging building while maintaining the memorial at its current footprint.
Gauging interest in the Emergency Services property was part of a larger endeavor to identify potential new sources of revenue for Sampson County government, but also broached as County Manager Ed Causey said concerns were raised that it might be in the best interest of county leaders to be free of the old building once not in use. A full move to a new $18 million Emergency Services headquarters across town was completed last year, leaving the facility officially vacant.