Several lots in the Boise Foothills were auctioned off. Only one buyer paid up.

There was high interest when five empty lots were auctioned last month on Alto Via Court and Strata Via Place in the Boise Foothills. Four of the lots received at least 20 bids, and the other had 70.

But only one successful bidder carried through and paid Ada County for the lot by Thursday’s deadline. It was for a 1.2-acre property at 143 N. Alto Via that sold for $28,100.

It was listed for a minimum bid of $6,597, which represented back taxes and fees owed on the property. The additional money will be returned to the owner of the property before it was seized.

The five lots were near homes that slid off their foundations during a slow-moving landslide three years ago. The damage caused roads to close, and large houses were ruled uninhabitable.

The property at 143 Alto Via was once assessed at $180,000, according to the Ada County Assessor’s Office. At the time of the landslide, it was assessed at $143,800.

Bidders did not have to put up a bond to guarantee payment, only a $285 registration fee. Under Idaho law, if a county is unable to sell a seized property at auction, it can sell it without further notice by public or private sale.

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to say the lots that were auctioned off never had homes built on them.

This story was originally published August 5, 2019 at 3:16 PM.