Jasper board puts off surplus land sale

Mark Raines
Mark Raines
photo Jasper City Attorney Mark Raines

JASPER, Tenn. - City leaders' attempt to sell some surplus property on Anderson Ridge has become somewhat muddled recently.

Mayor Paul Evans said an adjoining landowner, Max Howe, offered to buy the property several months ago.

The land includes a water tower, which once provided water to much of the surrounding area, but it was taken out of service long ago.

The Jasper Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted last month to declare it surplus property and sell to the highest bidder.

However, City Attorney Mark Raines said he hasn't been able to find a deed for the land.

He said the town would have to sell the property by quit-claim deed and would not guarantee anything associated with it.

"We're selling whatever interest we have in it," Raines said. "It may be as good as any warranty deed that you can get out here, or we may be selling a pig in a poke."

Alderman Paul "Mac" Bumpus said Jasper is definitely selling the water tower, but "we don't know if we own the land [on which the tank is built]."

"It may be that the property is as good as gold, and the town has had it since the 1960s," Raines said.

On the other hand, he said an adjoining landowner could claim later that he owned the property.

Evans said current property ownership maps show the small plot as a square surrounded by Howe's land.

The only two offers Jasper received on the land were Howe's $500 bid and $1,000 from James Carter.

There has been no title search on this property, Raines said, other than looking unsuccessfully for the deed.

If the purchaser finds out later that he doesn't have a valid right to own the property, he said, the city would not help defend that.

"As-is, where-is, and the buyer accepts all responsibility," Raines said. "Whoever buys this could potentially be buying a lawsuit, unless it's the landowner who owns everything around it."

Initially, Alderman Steve Looney proposed moving forward with the sale to Carter since he was the highest bidder, but Raines said Carter didn't know the town is selling the property through a quit-claim deed.

At its September meeting, the board decided instead to table the issue until officials can determine whether Carter wants to proceed with the purchase.

If so, the board will approve the sale at its next meeting on Oct. 13, officials said, but if Carter withdraws his bid, the city could sell it to Howe instead.

Raines said no more bids on the property would be accepted.

Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.

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