The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Somebody, please... give me a bid.
by D.B. Conard, The Quill
It was 10:00 Friday morning at the St Patrick Church Community Center where a public auction began on time.
150.3 acres of farmland being sold by BMW Revocable Living Trust is what had everyone's attention.
The land was formerly that of the late Jack and Mary Stevenson and located 4 miles southwest of Stronghurst in Terre Haute Township
Nearly 30 people came out for the auction in spite of the cold weather and iffy roads.
$5500 was the opening bid and it stuck there. As you looked around the room the expression was surprise.
It wasn't going to be an auction because it takes at least two to play and $5600 didn't seem as if it would ever come.
There were a number of individuals in the room that only needed to smile and they could more than likely afford anything they wanted.
This time they didn't seem to be there to buy but to watch.
What happens at every sale effects every land-owner in the county in one way or the other.
For a moment after a long wait and a three minute break, there was a slow back and forth bid that bumped the price to $6,000, and then with a one minute count down, it was all over.
Peter Rousonelous of Stronghurst, had been the last person standing and now only needed to get the sellers approval on the sale. It didn't happen. Douglas Hensley of Gorsuch-Hensley Real Estate Auction, Inc. of Canton got a No-Sale from the owner, and that was that.
Based on recent area land sales of $6,000 didn't come near to the mark for the seller. The auctioneer had estimated between $7200-$8400.
So it will be another day when there will be a new owner of this piece of Henderson County.