Four of Barbara Buescher's properties in Jefferson City may be for sale next month, if the Cole County collector does not receive a check for a portion of Buescher's unpaid property taxes by Aug. 21.
Cole County Collector Larry Vincent said the county plans to sell 1226 Adams St., 500 E. Capitol Ave., 108 Jackson St. and 101 Jackson St. at the end of August, if the office does not receive a check covering at least one year of unpaid property taxes on each.
Under Missouri state law, the county can sell properties that have delinquent or unpaid property taxes. Vincent said the county waits until after the third year of nonpayment before selling and, to stop the county from selling, only one year of property tax payments must be made.
For the properties potentially up for sale next month, Buescher owes more than $16,000 for the past three years. All four also are on the city's abandoned properties list. Of the 90 properties on the list, which was updated in May, Buescher owns 21 properties.
The city filed a civil suit in December against Buescher citing the city's nuisance code and seeking reimbursement for all costs to the city for securing Buescher's properties. The suit specifically listed 16 of her properties and is seeking $49,774.80 through 19 different counts.
According to Missouri Casenet, the next hearing on the case is set for Sept. 8.
According to the Cole County Collector's office, Buescher is listed as owning 33 properties in 2014, which have a combined assessed valuation of more than $560,000. For those properties, Buescher is listed as owing more than $40,000 in property taxes for 2014, of which she has paid $12,845 for seven properties in the 400 block of East Capitol Avenue.
Buescher recently appeared at a status hearing on the city's civil suit against her. As she was leaving the court, a News Tribune reporter asked her about the county selling four of her properties, to which she responded that it was untrue. Further attempts to reach Buescher were unsuccessful.