County forecloses on ‘eyesore’ in Norman

NORMAN — The Richmond County Tax Department is foreclosing on an abandoned property that Norman Town Council members have called an “eyesore” on a well-traveled intersection.

Richmond County Tax Administrator Vagas Jackson confirmed on Friday that the foreclosure of abandoned buildings located at the intersection of Moore Street and U.S. 220 is in progress. Melvin T. Robinson Jr., the owner of the white, partially boarded up building and a collapsed brick garage that sits on parcel number 758101378822, owes a combined $4,379.70 in delinquent property taxes and Richmond County landfill fees for those lots. He is four years behind on those payments, and his 2020 taxes would have been due on Sept. 1.

The tax value of the lot that includes the white building and brick garage is listed as $61,186. The value of the adjacent lot owned by Robinson is $7,966.

A building across the street from the foreclosed property is in similar condition. That building, which is owned by the Hogan family, is on the market for $10,500. The owners have kept Town Council informed about what they’re doing with the property.

Robinson has allegedly been comparatively less compliant in his communications with town officials. Town Council members said they’ve been sending letters to Robinson for years, inquiring about his plans for the property and asking if he needed assistance from the town.

“We didn’t get results from him,” Mayor Pro Tem Stephen Cranford said.

Town Council told Robinson that the unstable structure of the property could prove to be dangerous if anyone found a way in.

At one point, according to Cranford, Robinson offered to sell the property to the town for $84,000. Robinson claimed there was a “story” behind the price being so much higher than the tax value, but didn’t provide the council with specific details.

“It’s basically (just) a lot, because the building is useless,” Councilwoman Renate Mann said at a council meeting on Monday, before the town knew of the foreclosure.

“The only thing that’s worth anything is the land it’s on,” said Hilda Pemberton, a local resident and Richmond County Board of Elections member.

All of the buildings set to be foreclosed on seem to have some structural issues. The roof of the garage has caved in, leaving much of the inside of the building exposed. Cranford attributed the deterioration of the building to years of neglect.

Council previously floated the idea of purchasing the property or bringing in another business to fill the space.

The tax foreclosure process can take several weeks or even months. It’s unclear when Richmond County began to foreclose on the Norman lots. The property hasn’t been listed in any foreclosure sales yet.