The future of the Hayswood Hospital building remains in limbo, after a Master Commissioner sale of the property was cancelled Friday.
The sale was to take place Friday, at 1 p.m. at the Mason County Justice Center. The former hospital was one of 10 properties to be sold during the auction.
But early Friday morning, Jeff Schumacher, Mason County master commissioner, was notified the plaintiff, Tax Ease Lien Servicing LLC, had petitioned the Mason County Circuit Court to have the property removed from the sale.
Tax Ease Lien Servicing holds a lien against the owners of the Hayswood property, E.D. Haye Inc. for defaulting on property tax payments for 2008 and 2009. Tax Ease Lien is one of several companies in the state and country that place liens against properties with delinquent property tax bills.Â
The amount of back taxes owed for 2008 and 2009, according to officials is $5,984. The company filed a motion for default and summary judgment, asking for an order to sell which was granted by Judge Stockton Wood during Mason County Circuit Court on March 22.
Although the company name on file as owning the abandoned hospital is E.D. Haye, the owner is Esther Johnson, who purchased the property for $42,000 in 1994.
On Friday, Trey Gulledge with Tax Ease said the company is evaluating its options related to the property. Gulledge said company officials are familiar with the deteriorated condition of the building, as well as potential environmental issues that could impact the cost of remediating the property.
Gulledge said it is never the intention of Tax Ease to own the real estate it holds liens on and the company is open to suggestions on what to do next.
“We’re open to suggestions … we have the right to foreclose on the property and bring it to sale,” he said. He also said if the city or county had an interest in taking control of the property, Tax Ease would work with officials to sign over the lien.
The property has an assessed value of $42,000, according to records on file at the Property Valuation Office.
The hospital has been vacant since 1983, after the opening of Meadowview Regional Medical Center. The building has fallen into a state of deterioration with numerous broken windows, ivy and vines covering more than half of the front of the building, and rotting plywood “doors” toward the rear of the building. Vandalism occurs on a regular basis and a variety of ghost hunters have been inside the building taking photos or filming documentaries.
In its current state, the building is a blight on the community and cannot be remediated or torn down without millions of dollars invested in the effort, according to past reports.
In March, City Manager Ray Young said it would take “a couple million dollars coming out of taxpayer money” in order for the city to demolish Hayswood Hospital and take care of the hazardous material cleanup required.Â
“We know it’s an eyesore and problem,” Young said, noting it would take a source of income (such as federal funding) before the city could attempt to rehabilitate the building or tear it down.
