Commissioners approve lot swap to correct mistaken land-bank sale

The Junction City Land Bank Commission voted to approve a corrective swap after staff said a recent sale used an incorrect legal description and sent the buyers to the wrong parcel.

A staff member explained the mistake during the meeting, saying the error arose when a quick-reference number was used instead of the recorded legal description. "We double and triple check the legal description because that's what the registered deeds is what the title company is gonna follow," the staff member said. The staff recommendation is to swap the parcels and set closing dates roughly 30 days from now so the buyers can proceed with permits and financing. The sale at issue involved an offer from Eric J. Povita and Diana M. Neera Sanchez to purchase Lot 16, Block 1, Sutter Highlands Subdivision for $5,000, as introduced under Land Bank resolution No. 26.

Commissioners moved and seconded a combined approval of items 3(a) and 3(b) to execute the swap. After brief questions about contract wording and safeguards, the chair called the question and commissioners indicated their support; the motion carried. Staff said it will present the offer in the next meeting packet as the commission requested and will adopt the practice of relying on the legal description rather than quick-reference numbers to avoid repeating the error.