MOOSE JAW — During one of its final executive committee meetings in October, city council awarded a property that the municipality had acquired through tax arrears to three businessmen for a value below the original asking price.
During that meeting, council awarded a tender for the sale of 246 Caribou Street West — formerly Caribou Auto Body — to Mike Chowns, Christopher Milani and David Crompton for $100,000, while it authorized the mayor and city clerk to sign the sale agreement and any related documents for the city.
In an email to MooseJawToday.com, city hall said that council’s approval of this sale was required because the sale price was below the previously approved amount; any sale below market value or the pre-approved price required council’s authorization.
The municipality acquired this property as a tax title property in September 2022, although city hall was unwilling to publicly disclose the appraised value of the lot until both parties had finalized the sale agreement. Moreover, the city was unwilling to provide additional details about the trio who bought the property until the agreement had concluded.
The city spokeswoman added that it’s unknown whether the property requires remediation, while utilities are available for the new owners.
The 2024 municipal election is Wednesday, Nov. 13. The inaugural meeting of the new city council is Monday, Nov. 18, while the first regular meeting is Monday, Nov. 25.
