An acre of land on the Old Dresden Road, taken by the town of Wiscasset for back taxes, will be sold to the highest bidder.

Selectmen have taken the recommendation of Town Manager Arthur Faucher to sell property formerly owned by Elizabeth Young to recoup taxes owed and money spent on cleaning up the property.

Faucher said the town foreclosed on the property last spring, but gave the former owner several months to take what she wanted from the house and property. The former owner has found a rental unit in the town of Wiscasset, he said.

The process of acquiring the land for about $14,000 in back taxes has gone on for several years.

The town recently had the house demolished because it was in very poor condition. Road commissioner Bob Blagden said the town also had to remove and dispose of contents of the house, which included old appliances, clothes, housewares, and other materials. The town also spent money putting gravel down in the driveway so that equipment could be driven onto the site. The town will seek to get enough money from the sale of the land to cover these costs, plus the time spent by public works employees cleaning it up and the legal fees that were incurred in taking possession of the property.

Faucher said sometime in the next 60 to 90 days the town will take out a paid legal ad in area newspapers to advertise the sale of the property, which will include a legal description and the lot and map number.

Faucher told selectmen there is no well on the site, but there is a septic system and a cement pad.