Norwich ― The city will conduct a delinquent tax auction sale of 29 properties after repeated attempts to contact the owners for payment plans.

The live auction will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4 at City Hall, 100 Broadway, Norwich. As of Nov. 27, the list of properties included 16 residential or business properties with structures, nine mobile homes and four vacant lots.

Tax Collector Karlene Deal said in each case, the city has made repeated attempts to contact the owners for payment. But the auction announcement itself proved to be a strong incentive. The initial list turned over to auction attorney Adam Cohen of Pullman & Conley LLC in Bridgeport, contained 43 properties.

Since then, 11 property owners have paid off back bills totaling $346,971.86, Deal said. Another three owners have made arrangements to pay another $85 609.77, including $44,196.43 on the day before Thanksgiving from the owner of a commercial building at 4 Willow St., removing that from the auction, Deal said.

The list and details on each property can be found at www.cttaxsales.com. Go to Dec. 4 to find the Norwich auction. A link to the tax sale website also is on the city’s website at www.norwichct.org.

Deal said the city had planned to conduct tax auctions every two years, but city officials decided to allow more time after the COVID-19 pandemic to allow owners to pay back bills.

In the auction sale, the city receives only the total owed on the properties for back taxes, interest and legal costs. Any additional amount will go to the state to pay off other debts owed on the property.

Bidders must bring government-issued ID for the potential new owners of the property, a mandatory $5,000 deposit, or other amount specified for individual properties, with the remaining balance due by Dec. 9.

The auction includes the Rose City Auto Sales & Service building at 543 E. Main St., with $73,579 in taxes and fees owed as of Aug. 31, and a small commercial building at 65 W. Town St., with $39,619 owed as of Aug. 31. Two five-family apartment houses are in the auction, one at 19 School St. with $48,856 owed, and one at 252 Franklin St., with $62,874 owed.

Several single-family homes are in the auction, along with the nine mobile homes.

c.bessette@theday.com