PROPERTY AGENT, SENIOR

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

Under general supervision, to lead, plan and coordinate the evaluation and disposition of surplus County real and/or personal property; to conduct field inspections; to lead, plan and coordinate the promotion and conduct of public auction or other sales of properties; and to do other work as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

The Property Resources Section within the Department of Transportation and Development is responsible for managing and disposing of real and/or personal property that is in County ownership.

The Property Agent, Senior provides lead work direction to other professional and technical staff and performs the most complex professional property disposal work, requiring a substantial level of professional training and experience.  The Property Agent, Senior, works to ensure a high-performance, customer service-oriented work environment and applies process improvement principles to areas of responsibility.  This classification markets surplus properties and supervises the coordination of public auctions and private sales, the transfer of real and personal property, easements and leases, and answers inquiries regarding properties from the public.

The Property Agent, Senior, differs from the Property Agent, which provides direct support to the Property Agent, Senior, in all aspects of surplus property disposition, but does not have primary responsibility for any major aspect of the program, does not recommend award selections and does not lead the work of others.  It also differs from the Property Appraiser classification series which inspects, classifies and determines market value appraisals of property for value assessment purposes.

TYPICAL TASKS

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

1. Reviews the listing of real property set for property tax foreclosure proceedings; researches properties and obtains property information necessary for foreclosure; collects information from other governmental agencies with jurisdiction on properties.
2. Conducts inspections of properties, including site visits; determines possible liabilities and mitigation steps necessary to proceed with disposal of property; determines availability for sale and appropriate sale methods; supervises the preparation, coordination and conduct of public sales of properties with the Sheriff’s Office and County Counsel; advertises and promotes properties available for sale;
3. Researches County Assessor and other public records to identify property ownership and determine property rights; orders title reports when required; examines and reconciles title reports for accuracy of the vesting and legal descriptions of properties, and any conflicting issues such as existing easements, judgments, covenants, conditions and restrictions, liens and encumbrances; processes release of surplus rights of way; requests appraisal reports from independent appraisers to determine the value of easements or real property.
4. As a project manager, oversees discrete projects such as ordering boundary surveys and hazardous waste cleanup, by scheduling, assigning and directing processes performed by support or other technical staff; reviews work products; prepares cost estimates, monitors and maintains records on the financial status and progress of work to ensure projects are completed on schedule and meet local, state or federal standards.
5.  Leads and participates in the work of technical and administrative staff in assigned work unit; trains and provides direction on complex technical or procedural issues; assigns work and reviews decisions on difficult case problems; identifies training needs for work unit; assists in evaluating work performance.
6. Receives public inquiries regarding County property from citizens, investors and speculators; explains State and County procedures involved in the sale of properties; assists the County Purchasing Department with the preparation of bid specifications; reviews and recommends award selections from submitted materials; monitors bid process for compliance with State statutes and contract specifications.
7. Supervises the development and maintenance of record keeping systems and other administrative support processes for the Property section; ensures the coordination and maintenance of documents such as property lists, contracts, leases and mailing lists; assists with the preparation of documents involved in the transfer of real and personal property, easements and leases, including legal descriptions, conveyance documents, maps, ordinances and engineers’ reports.
8. Assists with the preparation and monitoring of the annual budget for the Property Resources Section, including the Tax Title Land Fund.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Working knowledge of:  Laws, rules, policies and practices regarding tax foreclosure and public auctions; principles and practices of property appraisal; the application of depreciated replacement cost, capitalized income and a variety of market data comparison methods and techniques; real estate and condemnation law; appraisal theory, technique zoning and building codes; real estate title research and transfer transactions; landlord /tenant laws; property maintenance and construction principles; purchasing and contracting processes and requirements; Department of Environmental Quality regulations and processes.

Skill to:  Interpret and apply statutes, ordinances and County policies and procedures; read and understand maps, legal descriptions, profiles and other technical data related to property; coordinate the work of and provide training for professional, technical and support staff; compose correspondence requiring initiative and judgment; conduct independent research; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with County employees and officials, service providers, other governmental agencies, citizen groups and the public; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; operate computer hardware and software. 

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Driver’s license or acceptable alternative method of transportation.

MINIMUM RECRUITING STANDARDS

Any satisfactory combination of experience and training that demonstrates possession of the required knowledge and skills.