When a tractor owned by Mansfield Township didn't fetch the minimum bid at auction, it was dealt a few days later to an unidentified buyer for almost $3,000 less than the asking price.
It now sits along Route 31 South in Glen Garder near Grochowicz Farm with a "For Sale" sign stuck to the front window. Asking price: $22,500.
Despite offers from neighboring Oxford Township to buy the equipment, Mansfield Township Mayor Ted Tomaszewski sold the tractor for about $5,000 less than the township could have received.
A man who answered a call made to the number on the sign said the tractor was priced at $22,500. When asked by a reporter to explain how the tractor was purchased, he declined comment.
"I would really rather not participate in that," he said.
Oxford Township Public Works Supervisor Louie Accetturo said his township negotiated with Tomaszewski on a price before the tractor went to auction with a minimum bid of $18,000. The mayor negotiated with former Mansfield Police Chief and current Oxford Committeeman Doug Ort, according to Accetturo.
Ort did not return calls for comment.
"We wanted to see if we could work an inter-township type agreement that would work for us and them and it just unfortunately didn't happen," Accetturo said.
Officials with the two townships never agreed on a final number. Oxford officials were willing to spend $20,000, but Tomaszewski wanted $23,000, according to Accetturo.
Tomaszewski eventually countered with $21,500, but wouldn't drop to $20,000, Accetturo said.
"He wasn't willing to do anything," Accetturo said. "Like he was trying to play this hard line and that was it."
The township committee would have had to approve any deal struck between the two parties. Tomaszewski did not return repeated calls for comment.Oxford officials did not attend the auction, and Tomaszewski agreed to sell the tractor after the auction for $15,250, according to Mansfield committee members."It was kind of left there," Accetturo said. "We honestly never made a true formal offer because we were more or less negotiating and then unfortunately I heard it sold for a considerable amount less."
Matthew Weng, a staff attorney with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, said Tomaszewski did not need the permission from the other township committee members to sell the tractor.
"If you put it up for auction and either you don't get any bids or you don't get the reserve bid, which you usually would put at the fair market price, then yeah, you can just sell it," he said.
Weng said whoever has the executive authority, whether that be the mayor or the manager, can sell the property if it doesn't sell at auction.
"As long as they don't sell it for less than what would be considered a fair market price," he said.
Accetturo said he knew the tractor was being sold on Route 31 South but he didn't want to go see it.
"Why beat myself up?" he said.
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FALLING PRICE
Oxford Township Public Works Supervisor Louie Accetturo said the township was willing to pay Mansfield Township $20,000 for a tractor.
Mansfield Township sold the tractor at auction for $15,000.
The new owner now hopes to sell it for $22,500.
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