Philadelphia Land Bank to resume bidding on properties

The Philadelphia Land Bank will start bidding on vacant properties again after five years. This follows a recent agreement with the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office, approved by the land bank’s board on Saturday. This agreement allows the land bank to acquire tax-delinquent properties at sheriff sales. Executive Director Angel Rodriguez announced they plan to begin bidding in June. The memorandum of understanding with the sheriff's office will last for one year, and then they will negotiate again. The land bank aims to increase affordable housing in the city by acquiring these properties. Some parcels will also be used for community gardens and open spaces. Under the law, the land bank can make noncompetitive bids, known as priority bids, allowing them to buy properties even if they are not the highest bidder. They lost this status when sheriff sales moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rodriguez stated that negotiations for the agreement began in October. The new process aims to clarify fees and logistics after the shift to online sales. The vote came just before Mayor Cherelle Parker is set to present her housing plan, which includes borrowing $800 million to create or preserve 30,000 housing units. The land bank has $5 million ready for acquiring properties. The sheriff's office had paused tax sales in March 2020 due to the pandemic. While they resumed in April 2021, issues with online sales halted them again. A new contract allowed tax sales to restart, but the land bank was unable to bid until now. City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier welcomed the board’s vote, calling it an important step for acquiring land in Philadelphia.