Countywide : 2 Seized Houses Sold to Highest Bidders

Two houses that were seized after their owners were charged with selling drugs were auctioned off by the County Board of Supervisors and the money was divided among state and local law enforcement agencies.

A 1,596-square-foot house with five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a pool in Simi Valley was sold for $171,600 to David Cherwink of Simi Valley.

A 608-square-foot house with two bedrooms and one bathroom in Santa Paula was sold for $72,500 to William and Joan Meixner of Ventura.

The offers by Cherwink and the Meixners were among about a dozen sealed bids that were opened Tuesday at the supervisors’ meeting. The supervisors were prepared to hold a live auction, but the only offers for the houses came in sealed bids.

Bidding for the Simi Valley house began at $140,000, while bidding for the Santa Paula house started at $60,000. The minimum bids are based primarily on the liens against the properties and on the condition of the local housing market, county officials said.

After all the liens are paid off, 10% of the profits from the two sales will go to the state, 13.5% will go to the district attorney’s office and the remainder will go to the Ventura and Santa Paula police departments, the two agencies involved in arresting the property owners.

By law, the houses can be sold before the property owners are convicted of a crime, county officials said.