Alabama Tax Sale: Price Quote Counteroffer Scenario

[Tai Bhattad]

I’m looking for advice /guidance on countering a price quote I received for a Tax Deed in Mobile, AL to gain ownership of a vacant lot.

Scenario (real): price quote came in for $3000 on a tax deed for a vacant lot where the property went tax delinquent in 1999. The county assessed value is only $2400.

The structure was demo’d by the city years ago (don’t know exact date) but I called the city and they confirmed the Municiple liens: Bldg, all weed liens, etc over the years were included in the price quote sent to the state.

The state has a backlog on reviewing counter offers and said it could take a year to even look at a counter offer... She also was very short with me when I tried to get information about how this will impact my place in line for the price quote I already received... so [I’m] stuck with no info there.

1. Anyone know of a contact at the Alabama state Revenue office to expedite the review of a counteroffer on a price quote?

2. What is a decent counter amount that you see might make sense? . (10 yr old tax deed -technically 7yrs) and structure is gone with very mature trees that I have to remove to build on it. Lot size is .16 acres, assessed at $2400 with surrounding lots of larger size assessed lower (not by much though :))

3. My thought: submit a counteroffer and go ahead and pay the initial $3k price quote upfront and hound them for the difference if it’s eventually reviewed and accepted. Wishful thinking but hey I don’t know how this stuff works; hence anyone ever pulled this off pls let me know.

3a. This gives me time to start the ownership steps and improvements as I want to have the trees removed and a slab down (with electricity) by Feb 2020. Other construction plans are down the line.

Also this lot is on the city’s NRP eligible list meaning they want someone to buy & build on the lot as part of their neighborhood renewal program!! (If it gets approved then the city helps you quiet title... expedited.)

I don’t want to wait for it to get on the NRP approval list as there’s no telling all the layers and other folks I may have to go through.

The owner lives about 8 blocks from the lot and I have not assumed abandonment since I think they may use it for parking fees during a certain time of the yr... if I get the tax deed: I’m ready to give notice and proceed with ejectment but I want to call them first about this.

Should I call first or just keep it formally in writing only? I think someone in my oversized family may know the owners but I have not spot checked :)

End goal is to gift the project to mommy to host her family functions :)

Guidance on this deal is appreciated!