MONCKS CORNERS, S.C.—After abruptly shutting down for business early this year, American LaFrance left behind more than just equipment and office supplies. It left the county with a massive tax bill in the amount of $650,000.
“The debt left by American LaFrance was a major concern,” explains Dan Davis, Berkeley County Supervisor. “Although we attempted to reach out to the company, they were unresponsive. I did not feel it was right or just to allow this burden to fall upon our citizens and taxpayers. We explored several options, and the one which seemed most likely to recoup the full debt was to conduct an auction.”
In order to pay off the debt, the county auctioned off the defunct manufacturers assets Wednesday. The auction attracted 275 registered bidders—many from out of state. Approximately 80 people registered to bid online.
According to Virginia Hamilton, the county’s delinquent tax collector, the auction was a huge success.
“Everything was sold. There was nothing left,” she said.
The auction started at 9 a.m. and ended at 6:30 p.m. An Ohio company, Cincinnati Industrial Auctioneers, performed the auction.
“They did an excellent job,” Hamilton added.
Although officials are still awaiting final figures, early calculations indicate the County will likely recover all outstanding taxes and fees under the fee-in-lieu tax agreement, plus costs for operating the auction.
