
City clarifies purchase of land in 2015
By Loretta Cozart
Last week, the Herald reported on two parcels of land purchased by the City of Kings Mountain in 2015 in order to provide utilities to NTE Energy, now known as Carolina Power Partners, LLC. Documentation provided by City of Kings Mountain shows the city billed NTE Energy, and NTE Energy paid the city a month later and before the property switched hands.
In a phone call with Kings Mountain City Manager Marilyn Sellers on Monday, July 20, Sellers explained the transaction saying, “We had an agreement with NTE that the city would purchase the property and they (NTE) would, in turn, reimburse us. What happened was that it became a pass through. A payment was received by the city from NTE, and we City paid for the two parcels. We didn’t use taxpayer dollars and the closing fees were included in their payment.”
Reviewing the city’s ledger sheet, City of Kings Mountain billed NTE Energy for $119,723.25 on July 7, 2015 and check was received from NTE Energy in that amount on August 3, 2015. The deed was executed on September 1, 2015 by Atty. Neisler and recorded with the Register of Deeds office on September 3, 2015.
Sellers explained the upset bid process. “Anytime we get a bid on a property, we, as staff, in turn put that on the council agenda to let them know we received a bid,” she said. “When we accept the bid, it starts the process. And, we don’t have to accept it (the bid) after a month. That’s up to council.”
“As for the property having no value, ‘of no use’ would be a better term,” Sellers said. “We looked at several options for the property and decided it was of no use to us. We purchased the 17.11 acre parcel for $69,723.25. We did have the property appraised at $125,000 and we got a bid for $150,000. We are hoping for higher offers and the first bid starts the process. It is up to council and, in the end, they may decide they don’t want to sell it.”
Last week, the Herald reported on two parcels of land purchased by the City of Kings Mountain in 2015 in order to provide utilities to NTE Energy, now known as Carolina Power Partners, LLC. Documentation provided by City of Kings Mountain shows the city billed NTE Energy, and NTE Energy paid the city a month later and before the property switched hands.
In a phone call with Kings Mountain City Manager Marilyn Sellers on Monday, July 20, Sellers explained the transaction saying, “We had an agreement with NTE that the city would purchase the property and they (NTE) would, in turn, reimburse us. What happened was that it became a pass through. A payment was received by the city from NTE, and we City paid for the two parcels. We didn’t use taxpayer dollars and the closing fees were included in their payment.”
Reviewing the city’s ledger sheet, City of Kings Mountain billed NTE Energy for $119,723.25 on July 7, 2015 and check was received from NTE Energy in that amount on August 3, 2015. The deed was executed on September 1, 2015 by Atty. Neisler and recorded with the Register of Deeds office on September 3, 2015.
Sellers explained the upset bid process. “Anytime we get a bid on a property, we, as staff, in turn put that on the council agenda to let them know we received a bid,” she said. “When we accept the bid, it starts the process. And, we don’t have to accept it (the bid) after a month. That’s up to council.”
“As for the property having no value, ‘of no use’ would be a better term,” Sellers said. “We looked at several options for the property and decided it was of no use to us. We purchased the 17.11 acre parcel for $69,723.25. We did have the property appraised at $125,000 and we got a bid for $150,000. We are hoping for higher offers and the first bid starts the process. It is up to council and, in the end, they may decide they don’t want to sell it.”