lot suggestion

[wendy's wash]

Had to foreclose on a lot 50'x100' behind my car wash. My wash is on a main street but the lot faces a subdivision and is part of the subdivision. Houses on both sides. The city has made the property general commercial. Each time a house is removed then it will change too. Finance land for house to be put on property and the builder dumped it in my lap. Put up for sale and no takers. It's been 2 years. Asking less than what I financed. I thought about using it for open storage but the land is just dirt.
Does anyone have suggestion on how to use the land so I can make money instead of costing me for taxes and lawn care. Thanks

 

[Waxman]

Pet wash. Detail Shop. Mini Storage. Coffe Drive Thru. Rent it to a sausage truck. Laundry Mat. Detail Shop. Detail Shop.

Maybe you should build a detail shop there and detail some cars!

 

[Randy]

I don?t think he has any funds available for any kind of development. About the only thing I can see to do with it is use it as open storage.

 

[MEP001]

I know of a wash with a fenced-in parking lot behind it which is fenced and has a security gate. It amazes me how many people will pay a monthly fee to park a car, boat, RV, dump truck, commercial trailer, etc. They have signs up that says there is video surveillance, but they have no cameras at all.

I've seen a nice-looking Audi TT with no engine parked in there for the last two years. A lot of the traffic I see go in and out is buses for a limo service, dump trucks and a few work trucks with trailers. A lot of them drive in with one vehicle and drive out with a truck, then park it again in the evening and drive the car home.

I'd estimate it's about 2 acres, all paved with asphalt.

 

[wendy's wash]

Randy, hit the hammer on the nail. At this time I do not have funds to spend on the property. I was trying to find a very cheap way to just pay taxes and lawn care. This is about $800.00 a year. The lot sits about 8" lower than the wash does. Would have to build up the land to drive or have any access from wash to lot. Their is a set back code of 40' from the streets on the subdivision side. This only leaves 60'x50' of lot left. I am sure their will be a distance on both sides that cant be used. I have a 6' wood fence between us and to access from the main street they would have to drive past my vac pedistals. Have 3 total but only 2 would be effected. These are the most used ones. My lot is solid concrete and new on back side. I would have to get electrical, water, and drainage put in. It would be as if I was having to build from scratch in the back. My wash is around 25 to 30 years old and the electrical shows it with no way to expand with out replacing all in equipment room.

 

[pitzerwm]

I don't know if this is reasonable, but you might consider donating it to the city and write it off. Doesn't sound like it can be used profitably.

 

[Louise]

Any need for another cell tower in your area? Maybe you could lease it to
a cell provider.

 

[wendy's wash]

the lot is listed with a realitor. for sale, for lease, owner finance, don't know how else to get rid of it. i went so far as to post it on every site local my wife could find that was free. we also have a flashing arrow sign out front of car wash and listed it there. it would be not a good idea to donate it as the amount of income tax i would save would be very little. the only brite spot would be some day the economy will get better and when i sell the 4 bay the lot will be included. hope that will make the wash sell. right now the lot is only costing me $500.00 in property tax, but the city is going to raise the tax percent on all property cause they want to bleed the tax payer even more. made the news that the value of each property won't go up just the tax rate per $100.00. they get you coming and going.

 

[MEP001]

You might want to contest any property tax increase. Ours has gone up every year, and partly because of an unused section behind the wash we've managed to get them back down. It's about $7,000 a year on the unused section.

 

[wendy's wash]

sold

Closed on the lot 6-25-2009. Lost $6,669.07. Filed small claims case yesterday. My state limit is ten thousand, so I am covered. Once I win, I will be putting lean on 4 properties he owns. CASE CLOSED.