The Fred Nehls farm which forfeited to the state for non-payment taxes will be bought by the city of New Ulm for public use.

The three outlots involved include 12 acres and are located on the west side of Summit Avenue from about 11th to 13th S.

Under state law the city has first choice to acquire the land, provided it is always used to serve as a public benefit.

DENNIS WARTA, Brown County Commissioner in whose district the land is located, as part of his duties, notified city fathers of the chance to acquire the land.

He said only cost to the city would be the loss of delinquent and future assessments owed on the land. The city would lose about $8,330 in delinquent assessments and would have to pay the state a $250 tax,according to R.T. Rodenberg,county attorney.

“I believe that since there is no neighborhood playground situated near this growing residential area,”Warta wrote the council, “a good and desirable land use of these acres would be a playground park.”

He proposed the land be called Nehls Park and that former owner Fred Nehls be allowed to continue to live on the land for as long as he wants.

Nehls, 78, has lived on the farm all his life. The three outlots were forfeited to the state a year ago because Nehls hadn’t paid his property taxes or assessments on them since 1968.

THE CITY COUNCIL Tuesday instructed the city manager to initiate the purchase of the land.

Councilman James Penrod said the condition of Nehls being allowed to stay in his home as long as he wants should definitely be a part of the purchase.

As of April 1975 Nehls owed about $12,600 in back-taxes, assessments and penalties. At that time he said he had stopped paying the taxes because he refused to pay the assessments for sewer and water. The county treasurer wouldn’t let him just pay the taxes, he had to pay the assessments, too, he said.

Nehls still owns one outlot west of the three which the state now owns. That outlot does not front on Summit and was not assessed for the sewer and water improvements on Summit. Nehls has paid the taxes on that outlot which is on a hillside and goes down to Flandrau State Park.

New Ulm Daily Journal

Dec. 12, 1975