Photo by Casey Junkins West Virginia Northern Community College recently lost ownership of the property at right for $3,500 because of unpaid taxes.

WHEELING — West Virginia Northern Community College lost ownership of a vacant lot next to its B&O Building in downtown Wheeling due to unpaid taxes in the amount of $3,500.

Slightly more than three years ago, the college spent $240,000 to purchase the property, located between 18th Street and Wheeling Creek. The land which featured a price tag of $750,000 as recently as 2012, may fetch far more than the amount of unpaid taxes.

The site in question is the former Electrical Contractors Supply property. In November 2014, the college announced the acquisition, adding they intended to build a parking lot at the site.

“That the WVNCC Foundation agreed to purchase the former Electrical Contractors Supply building behind the B&O Building is another important step in cementing our plan for a consolidated, expanded Wheeling campus,” the college’s then-president Martin Olshinsky said at the time.

Since then, contractors, presumably working for the college, razed and removed the structure to create the vacant lot. However, the lot was never paved. Now, there are “for sale” signs on the fence that surrounds the lot.

Any plans college officials may have had for the former Electrical Contractors Supply property are, at least, on hold.

“As you may know, West Virginia Northern Community College is a tax-exempt entity and we were surprised to hear of this situation. We are investigating this matter and hope to work with the taxing authorities to resolve it,” college spokesman David Barnhardt said.

According to the deed filed with the the Ohio County Clerk’s Office on Oct. 14, 2014, the college purchased the property from Lester R. Jarvis, et al. This took place after Ohio County Circuit Judge David Sims ruled to accept the college’s bid for the property after a public auction.

On June 1, West Virginia Deputy State Auditor Russell Rollyson sent a letter to Ohio County Sheriff Tom Howard regarding “delinquent and non-entered lands” that would be offered for sale. The 18th Street property is among those on the list.

According to Ohio County Clerk Michael Kelly, anyone who may hold a claim to a property must receive written notification of a pending sheriff’s tax sale before it is complete. Kelly said it is possible that the back taxes would have been owed by those from whom the college purchased the property, though he had no direct knowledge of this.

The tax deed filed with Kelly’s office on Jan. 30 includes a document which appears to be a certified letter sent to college officials from Rollyson. It states the college had until Dec. 20 to redeem the property for the amount of $21,083.58, which would have been the amount of tax owed, plus associated fees.

The deed shows the new owner of the property is Benjamin T. Bordas of Wheeling.

When reached by The Intelligencer via phone, Bordas said his intentions for the property are still undetermined.

Meanwhile, the college has hired contractors to refurbish the former Wesco Distribution building in East Wheeling to open the college’s $4.7 million Industrial Technology Center for fall semester this year.

Several years ago, the institution gained control of the former Straub sites on the corners of 16th and Market streets. One of these buildings now houses the technology programs, while the other is the Student Union with a Barnes & Noble. The college’s main Wheeling structure is the B&O Building on 16th Street, while it also has another building known as the “Education Center” on 17th Street between Chapline and Eoff streets.