When the man who agreed to purchase the tax-forfeited Tip of the Trail property in June 2013 was convicted of devising and executing a multi-million dollar investment fraud scheme and sentenced to 60 months in prison on December 10, 2014, it was unknown how that would impact the pending payment on the 4½-acre property on Saganaga Lake. At the county board meeting on Tuesday, January 20, 2015, Auditor Braidy Powers asked commissioners for authorization to proceed with cancellation of the sale.
Michael Robert Drilling, 47, who worked as outfitting manager at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, was the successful bidder in the county’s auction of the Tip of the Trail property with the minimum bid of $350,000, the appraised value of the property. After the auction, he told the Cook County News-Herald he would be living at the property.
County Auditor Braidy Powers said Drilling made a $35,000 down payment as Great Northern Adventure Co., LLC. Subsequent payments were due annually with the first payment due on December 31, 2014. Powers told the county board that Drilling’s company was in default for nonpayment of the 2014 real estate tax in the amount of $3,904 plus penalty and interest and for nonpayment of the annual installment of $31,500 plus penalty and interest.
Powers said if the board passed a motion to cancel the purchase because of the default, a notice would be published for three weeks and a certified letter would be sent to the purchaser. If the default was not corrected, the process to begin to re-sell the property could begin as early as May 7.
However, Powers suggested waiting to attempt to resell the property until summer when there are more potential purchasers. The county board passed a unanimous motion directing Powers to move ahead.
In addition to prison, Drilling was ordered to make restitution of $5,778,877.88. Under his plea agreement, Drilling agreed to forfeit all real and personal property derived from proceeds traceable to the frauds. He owns another property in Sedona, Arizona.
In other business
. County Attorney Molly Hicken gave a presentation to the county board on Minnesota’s Open Meeting Law. Hicken explained when and why a government meeting can be closed to the public. She asked commissioners to be aware of the possibility of holding “serial meetings,” in which one elected official talks to several others. Hicken said that is a violation of open meeting law.
Hicken explained what constitutes a quorum, but said that commissioners can all be in attendance at a community meeting or social gathering—as long as there is no discussion of county business.
. At the recommendation of Assessor Betty Schultz, the county board set the county’s Board of Equalization for June 16 at 6 p.m.
. The county board ended its meeting and convened the Cook County Human Services Board. Public Health and Human Services Director Sue Futterer introduced her staffers and gave an overview of the role of the Human Services Board.
Commissioner Jan Sivertson was elected chair of the Human Services Board and Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk, vice-chair.
Leave a Reply