OLD ORCHARD BEACH – A single-family property in town will soon be available to the best bidder. It’s located in a nice neighborhood and less than a 10 minute walk to the beach. The only catch is that the buyer must demolish the existing home on the property.

The town acquired, due to unpaid taxes, 19 Fern Ave., where a 982-square-foot neglected ranch house sits on a little more than one-tenth of an acre.

The town declared the home uninhabitable a few years ago, and taxes had not been paid on the property since 1997, according to town officials.

The town voted in September of 2016 to sell the property, and discussion regarding terms of the sale came up at Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting. 

“There’s been a lot of interest in this (property),” said Town Councilor Shawn O’Neill

The town will be requesting bids for the property by early September, and will be putting some conditions on the terms of the potential sale, said Town Manager Larry Mead. 

One of the conditions is that the house on the property would need to be torn down within eight months of closing. The town would require the buyer to provide a performance bond, letter of credit, or cash deposit to ensure the demolition would occur on time.

Another condition is that the property must be used for a single-family home, and can only be used for parking for a single-family residential property.

According to information in the bid request, there is significant water and mold damage throughout the building. The former owner’s possessions inside the house are included in the sale, but few of the items are salvageable, according to town officials.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].