It could be “anchors aweigh” for the Lufkin Mall come Nov. 5, as the 32-acre property is set to go up for sale to the highest bidder that day due to unpaid property taxes. The mall’s owners are expected to pay the delinquent taxes before that date, however, but had yet to do so as of Monday afternoon, according to Angelina County Tax Assessor-Collector Billie Page.
A notice of sale was posted Oct. 4 for the prime real estate at 4600 S. Medford Drive valued at more than $16.
5 million. The opening bid is estimated to start at $1.028 million.
Communication is ongoing between the mall’s owners and Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, the law firm representing Angelina County in its suit, Page said. “We understand that there is a lien against the property, so we feel certain that if nothing else, the lienholder will pay to get it pulled, because they have much more invested in it than a million dollars,” she said. A lawsuit was filed in February by Angelina County on behalf of itself, the city of Lufkin, Lufkin ISD and the Angelina College District against Lufkin Mall Realty Holding and Veritex Community Bank for unpaid property taxes for the 2022 and ’23 tax years totaling more than $913,000.
“It is back taxes from ’22 and ’23 that have not been paid,” Page said. “All the other years before that were paid, and the ’24 of course are not delinquent yet. They’re due, but not delinquent, so they’re not being sued for that.
It’s not being sold for ’24 t.