County nets $452K at auction

The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders announced that the 2007 Monmouth County surplus auction netted $452,045. The amount includes the proceeds from a one-day auction held at East Freehold Park Showgrounds in Freehold Township and a five-day online auction.

Seized and surplus property of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, motor pool, bridge department and park system were auctioned. More than 130 cars, trucks and vans were up for sale. Also on the auction list: office equipment, lawn mowers, grounds and turf equipment, chain saws, food concession equipment and other miscellaneous items. In total, these items netted $381,045, according to a press release.

"For the first time, the county made an item available for sale in an online auction - a 1994 P&H Century T-280 Truck Crane," said Freeholder Director William C. Barham. "The crane alone fetched a price of $71,000. These items positioned the county to achieve more than 90 percent increases in both dollars collected and registered bidders."

There were a record 485 registered bidders this year, compared with 251 bidders in 2006. Items were sold to the highest bidder and all items were sold "As is - Where is."

The auction was conducted Sept. 23 by Steven J. Miranti Auction Liquidation Services of Eatontown, which specializes in auctions of heavy equipment, business termination, government surplus, vehicle fleets, inventory reduction and bankruptcy. The auctioneer received less than 1 percent of the total sales, or $3,694. The 2006 auction netted $234,778 for the county.