by Ailene Croup for PiCK News

This saga, horror story, nightmare, whichever description best fits the parties involved, began with a simple question.

District 4 Pine County Commissioner J.J. Waldhalm left a card at the home of Robert Petko and Kristina Delaney, Windemere Township, in northern Pine County.

Waldhalm asked whether they were aware the parcel of land (with parcel identification number PID 330373000) to their east was being offered as tax-forfeited property and if they had been notified.

Commissioner Waldhalm’s mission, since his election in 2020, has been to get all the county’s tax-forfeited lands sold. It has been an uphill battle with no vocal support from the rest of the board.

The county’s tax-forfeited land that has not purchased at the county’s land auction, in September, gets added to the county’s Memorial Forest lands (now at 40,000 acres valued at $23 million) and does not produce taxes, taxes that would lighten the tax load on the county’s residents.

When tax-forfeited land is sold and timber sales off those lands are complete, the county distributes a portion of those sales (tax-forfeited and timber) to the townships, cities and schools that should have been collecting taxes on those properties.

In 2021, Commissioner Terry Lovgren, who was assigned by Chair Steve Hallan to the Land and Zoning Committee, made a motion to approve Resolution 2021-15 keeping 5 percent of the tax-forfeited land and timber sales to manage the timber on those lands and 20 percent of the profits for parks and recreation, an additional 5 percent of the tax-forfeited money would be used for blighted tax-forfeited properties. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Matt Ludwig, who is also on the Land and Zoning Committee, and approved. Less money for the townships, cities and school districts.

• For the purpose of clarity, the land to the west of Brandt Road, the 80 acres where Robert Petko and Kristine Delaney reside with the PID number 330372000, will be called the Petko/Delaney property.

• The land the county tax-forfeited on the east side of Brandt Road touching Sturgeon Lake and south of the Tessmer property, with the PID # 330373000 will be called TF property.

CHAPTER 1: Nightmare on Brandt Road - The interpretation of adjoin, adjacent, abut

Petko, who has owned his property for five years and had never been delinquent on his taxes, had seen the tax forfeiture county sign on the land TF property across from him on Brandt Road when he was out walking his dog. It was the first he had known of it. 

The land has shoreline on Sturgeon Lake.

Then, the sign asking interested parties to notify the county if they were interested in purchasing the land, was gone. 

The question triggered a call by Petko to the Pine County Land Administrator Greg Beck to inquire about bidding on the property.

PiCK News asked Petko to outline his communication with county employees and the county attorney.

Petko said he was told the sale of the land could either be by bid open to anyone, or by notifying landowners of adjoining properties to submit a sealed bid. Those landowners would be given a 30-day notice by the county to submit a bid.

Beck said the county decided to offer the land to adjoining landowners to bid on and told Petko he was not an adjoining landowner because he was across the road.

Petko told PiCK News Beck raised his voice when he asked about the land auction on Sturgeon Lake.

According to Petko, Beck said he (Petko) could tell JJ (Waldham) that this has been ridiculous and that Petko should have done something when he saw the sign.

Petko said he attempted to explain that he didn’t understand the sign’s purpose and learned of the statute that adjacent landowners are supposed to be given notice of the sale.

Beck questioned Petko about whether he had even read the statute and the part about nonconforming lots. Then went through a long explanation of the statute.

Petko quoted Beck as saying, “It doesn’t even access a good part of the lake.” 

Petko said, Beck told him these lots are an inconvenience for the county to deal with and they don’t make much money for the county. Beck also made these comments to PiCK News.

When asked about his abrasiveness to Petko, Beck told PiCK News he “was hit over the head” with this issue and it was the end of the day and that he did apologize to Petko.

In conclusion, Beck told PiCK News, “Set the truth forward but don’t dirty the name of the county. If something is afoul, address that. We all make mistakes.”

Petko went on to recall that Beck said the principal reason Petko isn’t considered an adjoining lot is because of the presence of Brandt Road separating him for the TF property.

Then Petko called Pine County Administrator David Minke who also told Petko he was not considered an adjoining landowner because he was across the road.

PiCK News sent an email with questions about the parcel to Minke. Minke did not respond.

The .22 acre parcel was sold for $2,200 to the Tessmers who border the north side of the parcel.

Petko continued to question whether his property was considered adjoining and if he should have been notified. Cont. Breaking News