Going Once, Twice, Sold!
By: Stephen Bond
Updated: September 6, 2012
Nearly seventy people came to bid tonight but many more were in attendance. And the auction drew a competitive crowd. Anthony Kline has lived in the same house in Utica since 1968. Tonight he, along with dozens of others had their eyes on foreclosed properties.
Kline says, "There's a lot next door to where I live that I've been trying to get for a few years now and it became available."
Anthony was able to secure the lot he had his eye on for twenty-four hundred dollars. Nineteen total properties were up for grabs tonight and its one way the city can start to recoup some much needed money.
He added, "That's how I see it, I really do, you know there's lots around that are just sitting there and you know with the money situation the way it is, it seems like a logical approach to me to put them back on the books."
The Mayor of Utica Robert Palmieri says, "It's certainly a rebirth because these homes are going to be rehabilitated because people have invested into it. Yes it does go back on the tax rolls, but I think overall it brings life back into a neighborhood that somewhat has seen a little bit of a decay."
Autum Rotach owns a business in Utica and has been looking to relocate to the place she grew up, South Utica. Tonight though at the auction she was able to buy a home just down the road from her business.
Rotach says, "I do acupuncture and its right around the corner, so I've been looking to buy a house, but I haven't been looking too hard and then this just kind of came up so I decided to check it out."
