NEW HANOVER COUNTY — The county will hold an auction of surplus property at the end of this month, where no-longer-needed holdings, like automobiles and office furniture, will be open for bidding.
Typically, New Hanover County holds a surplus auction twice per year; the last one was in March.
Nonprofits get first dibs at the inventory. Starting as early as Tuesday, through Oct. 26, nonprofits will “have an opportunity to inspect and purchase certain property prior to being sold to the general public.”
After that, starting Oct. 29, whatever is left will be auctioned electronically through GovDeals, a company that runs auction services for government clients.
The inventory of surplus property includes at least seven cars, one military-grade truck formerly used at the landfill, a tractor and a bulldozer. There is also a set of seven radar detectors (which can only be purchased by law enforcement), a few metal detectors, a 1998 fire truck and more.
Also on the list are furnishings — tables, over 100 office chairs — art, and a vast collection of old electronics.
Liza Wurtzbacher, the county’s chief financial officer, said in a statement the county does not choose the nonprofits that will get the items.
“We email the nonprofits that we fund to let them know items are available, as we have their contact information to further get the word out beyond the standard public notice,” according to her statement. “If a nonprofit is interested, we negotiate a price (generally fair market value) and they come pick it up once the price is agreed upon.”
The public notice for the auction states that nonprofits interested in viewing the auction property can contact Julia LaBombard at 910-798-4333, or via email.
According to county officials, GovDeals has also been used in the past for public auctions, including the most recent one.
FULL INVENTORY LIST:
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