New Hanover County to Host Electronic Surplus Property Auction

NEW HANOVER COUNTY – The county will hold a surplus goods auction at the end of this month, where unnecessary goods, like automobiles and office furniture, will be open for auction.

Typically, New Hanover County holds a surplus auction twice a year; the last was in March.

Nonprofits get the first dibs in inventory. From Tuesday until October 26, nonprofits “will have the opportunity to inspect and purchase certain properties before they are sold to the general public.”

After that, starting October 29, whatever remains will be auctioned electronically through GovDeals, a company that runs auction services for government clients.

The inventory of surplus goods includes at least seven cars, a 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 furniture – tables, over 100 office chairs – artwork, and a huge collection of old electronics.

Liza Wurtzbacher, the county’s chief financial officer, said in a statement that the county was not choosing which nonprofits would get the items.

“We are emailing the nonprofits we fund to let them know the articles are available, as we have their contact details to get the word out beyond standard public notice,” according to his statement. “If a nonprofit is interested, we negotiate a price (usually fair market value) and they come and get it after the price is agreed. “

The public notice of the auction indicates that non-profit organizations interested in visiting the auction property can contact Julia LaBombard at 910-798-4333 or by email.

According to county officials, GovDeals has also been used in the past for public auctions, including the most recent.

COMPLETE INVENTORY LIST:

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