Harney County Court approves order to put 497 South Kearny Ave. up for sale

Harney County staff presented a petition and asked the court to approve a court order to sell county-owned property at 497 South Kearny Ave. in Burns (property/account number 1356). The court reviewed statutory guidance on selling county property and minimum price rules: staff noted a county policy of attempting to sell at 25% of assessed RMV plus processing fees, and discussed the effect of recent case law (Tyler v. Hennepin) on handling surplus proceeds and potential claims by previous owners.

Staff said the property’s assessed RMV is about $134,006.50 and that the county has received at least one informal expression of interest. The court voted to approve Court Order 2025-08, authorize staff to advertise the property for four weeks and proceed with an open-bid sale. Commissioners debated whether the county should revisit its 25% minimum threshold to favor quicker disposals that recover judgment amounts; staff said they will consult AOC and legislative counsel for further interpretation.

The court emphasized an intent to return properties to private ownership where possible, while noting that statutory and case-law questions on surplus proceeds remain to be clarified by state authorities.