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That’s because they don’t actually own the waterfront between the lake and their homes, which puts their docks in violation of state rules.
La Crosse County owns a strip of waterfront for about 15 properties due to a surveying quirk when the lake was created by Northern States Power in the 1940s for a small hydroelectric dam. The problem came to light when the state Department of Natural Resources told people they had to remove their docks.
The county is ready to sell them the land at market value, but some of the owners told a La Crosse County Board committee Monday they’re unhappy with the county’s price.
“Don’t we get any consideration?” asked an incredulous Farrel K. Deml, who worked for the county for 24 years, including several as clerk of courts. The county wants $16,990 for 7,391 square feet of waterfront they thought was theirs.
Deml and her husband, Carl, have been paying taxes for years as if they were waterfront property owners, and they want the county to do something about it.
William Shepherd, the county’s corporation counsel, told Deml and other owners the town of Hamilton is responsible for assessing their property, not the county.
Hamilton Town Chairman Richard Schomburg said Tuesday the properties were mistakenly assessed as waterfront, but said that nobody really knew they weren’t. “The landowners thought it was theirs, and the county didn’t know any different,” Schomburg said.
“The town of Hamilton can’t help,” Schomburg said. “The Town Board doesn’t have any leverage on that.”
Schomburg thinks the county should just sell each owner the land for $1, but that idea didn’t fly with the County Board, which voted earlier this year to have the land appraised professionally and to sell it a fair market value.
The appraiser recently gave the county reports on values of 13 parcels in the Lake Road and Neshonoc Lake Properties areas. Appraisals of other properties in the Shorewood area still are being done.
The prices range from a low of $4,462 for a parcel that was a dump site for concrete waste to a high of $36,990. None of the lots are buildable.
Shepherd said the county’s price is not negotiable. “It’s up to them. They can choose not to buy,” Shepherd said, adding that owners are welcome to come in and see the appraiser’s reports.
Shepherd said if the owners buy the waterfront land, “it will significantly increase the value of their property.”
While many of the owners are unhappy, at least one is ready to pay.
“How soon can we write a check?” asked Larry Jostad, whose price is $13,990 for 2,865 square feet of land.
Reid Magney can be reached at (608) 791-8211 or rmagney@lacrossetribune.com.
Interested Reader wrote on Nov 12, 2007 8:51 AM: