BoCo

Widow who missed tax bill gets farm back
Sold for $15,000 but buyer says elderly woman's hug trumps $1 million land


An 89-year-old woman who lost her home because of $572 in unpaid taxes will get it back from the man who bought the million-dollar property in a government auction for $15,000.

Helene Shue, who has lived on her 41-acre farm near Hershey, Pa., for five decades, had paid her taxes in full every year – including this one – but was short in her 2001 payment, the Harrisburg Patriot-News reported.

The buyer, Philip Dobson of Middle Paxton Township, Pa., informed Shue's nephew, John Arndt, he would give back the land after the story gained national attention.

Dobson, a business owner who invests in real estate, said, according to the paper, he "had no idea when I bought it that there was an 89-year-old widow living there. I found that out when I was reading the newspaper."

The decision to give it back, he said, "was a no-brainer, a moral issue, not a legal one. The property should be returned to her."

"I got something better than a million-dollar property," he told the Harrisburg daily. "I got a hug from a little old lady. That was worth more than anyone could imagine."

The county has agreed to reimburse Dobson.

Arndt and Dobson went to Shue's home together to give her the news.

"Oh, my God, I can't believe it," Shue said, hugging Dobson and her nephew. "I won't forget this day."

The land and home in South Hanover Township has apple, cherry and peach orchards along with beef cattle and pigs Shue named after family members, the paper reported. She is so fond of the property she once turned down a $1 million offer for it.

The county's tax bureau maintained it gave her all the proper notification before putting up the land for auction, including posting notices on her door.

But when Arndt learned of the sale, he filed a petition with Dauphin County Court to intervene. Officials then set up a meeting between Dobson and Arndt, who said he was "overwhelmed" when Dobson agreed to give the land back, according to the Patriot-News.

"Mr. Dobson is a fine, upstanding person," Arndt said, putting an arm around Dobson's shoulders. "When the land was sold, my aunt said, 'This could kill me.' Now, she has it back."

Arndt's attorney, Anthony McBeth, said the county tax-claim bureau does its best to follow the law, the paper reported. But he believes the law itself needs to allow for better screening so people such as Shue, who have a good track record of payments, "do not have all they worked for exposed to a sale."

Arndt said his aunt planned to pay the $572 tax bill yesterday.

"This had a happy ending," he told the Patriot-News. "I plan to help her more with her mail and bills after this so nothing falls between the cracks."
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lurkette

That was a beautiful story. And your sig says it all (not the Bush-Cheney 2004 part - pthththbt!) - you get what you give, in abundance. This dude just got a lot of good karma. Sucks to be the county officials who foreclosed on a little old lady for $572....

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BoCo

They failed to mention in this story, but the county never even notified her that it had been sold. Someone working in the county office (I think) notified her because they felt she was being hustled by the county.

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nirol

I never felt this story passed the smell test. I dont know the laws in that jurisdiction, in most states the property owes the tax, so the question of the competency of the owner is not a legal issue. I still think the county tax dept. had a duty to investigate further why this bill was not paid when subsequent ones were. Most counties I know go to great lengths to determine what the deal is before holding a sale.
I have bought property like this, it aint as easy as Carlton Sheets says.
The purchaser seems to be a stand up guy.

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cchris

A feel good story where the Lady got the farm back and the county tax bureau can go fuck it'self.
Great stuff.

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World's King

That's fuckin' sweet.

I wish I could do things like that for people.


*sits back on couch with thumb in ass*

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tangledweb

>>I wish I could do things like that for people.

You can! Maybe not on that scale but you can help in other ways. The only way to do it is to put yourself in a position to find out peoples needs.

You would be amazed what something as simple and mowing a lawn or raking leaves for an underpriveledged or elderly person can mean to them.

Adopting a kid for Christmas would only set you back a few bucks but could mean the world to the child that wouldn't be getting anything else without you. Give it a try!!

ARTelevision

Yes, this is big local news here.
It's a true story and something to feel good about.

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Destrox

Odd, hershey PA is very close to me, i'm surpised I never heard word of this.

May I add, this was truely a amazing story that that fella is beyond a hero.

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ARTelevision

Our newspaper has been running good news features and giving them near top billing lately. That's probably why the timing was right for this story here.

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rogue49

It's nice to hear some good & beneficial news for a change,
and someone that defended for justice against the system.

There's been way to much abuse by "the man" these days.
We need to be vigilant against those who will abuse their "authorized" powers.

Fire

I have bought properties that way, and just bought back my brother in laws house, which was sold while he was overseas w/ the navy- no attempt was made to notify him either, and that seems like the way it runs in most of the counties around here... I also try not to buy out from under people, but here they have laws that lean toward the occupant, thus making it generaly a bad idea to buy an occupied property. note that each state does it a little different, and each county in each state has its quirks...

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positn

Gortexfogg

That's awesome that guy gave back the property. Sounds like if communication between the lady and county had been better this whole thing might have been avoided, but oh well. I wouldn't call this guy a hero exactly, more a really good person. I'd like to think most Americans would do the same thing he did in that situation, but if not, then he probably deserves the title 'hero'.

J.R.V.A.

Yes, it's a sad state of affirs when people doing what everyone should do are called hereos. We should all strive to be like this man, therefore making this world a better place. Today is a new day, let us start now

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erion

For those who don't think the story passed the "smell test", I read the article here and remember something about the tax bills being addresses to her long-deceased husband and possibly not ever getting delivered.

On another note, I didn't realize there were that many central PA TFP'ers.

BoCo

I think the reason the county (purposely) didn't notify her of the sale of her property was because they knew they could make more tax money off it if the buyer eventually sold it for its $1 million or more worth. It was all about greed.

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Darkeryet

Harrisburg, PA here and I too never heard or read this and I get the patriot news daily. I will have to go back and take a look again. I would like to read the full write up about it here locally.

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dragon2fire

claps good story


glad to hear something like this

splck

Hero? nah....Nice guy? yah

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