Berkeley County officials announced today the preliminary results of an auction the County held Wednesday to help recoup delinquent fees owed by American LaFrance when the company suddenly closed its Moncks Corner operation back in January. Although officials are still awaiting final figures, early calculations indicate the County will likely recover all outstanding taxes and fees under the fee-in-lieu tax agreement, plus costs for operating the auction.
“The debt left by American LaFrance was a major concern,” explains Dan Davis, Berkeley County Supervisor. “Although we attempted to reach out to the company, they were unresponsive. I did not feel it was right or just to allow this burden to fall upon our citizens and taxpayers. We explored several options, and the one which seemed most likely to recoup the full debt was to conduct an auction.”
According to officials, an estimated 275 people participated in the sale held at the Moncks Corner site where the company was once housed. Everything on the auction block sold. Officials expect the final transactions to be complete within the next few weeks, at which time the final results and figures will be released.
