Auctioneer Mark Henderson stood on the brick stairs leading into what was once considered a more than $1 million mansion to deliver a warning to the 50 or so people gathered outside in the driveway on Saturday morning.
This event was not for the faint of heart.
The bidding would start in the six figures. What you see is what you get. The next door neighbor wants a 6-foot section of fence moved that the former owner built on his property. A 10-percent premium will be added to the winning bid.
And all sales are final.
Welcome to Clairemont. The once stately home on Stony Hill Road that became the centerpiece in the multimillion fraud case against former owner and Bucks County socialite and GOP political donor Claire Risoldi. Now, the 71-year-old Risoldi is awaiting sentencing next month after being found guilty for filing $13 million in false insurance claims following a fire at Clairemont. She is currently serving a 30-day jail sentence for a 2016 contempt of court finding related to witness intimidation.
 |
| Auction crowd gathers outside Clairemont |
Her son, Carl, who was also charged in the fraud scheme, was forced to forfeit ownership of Clairemont to fulfill a restitution order, part of a plea bargain he made after his mother’s conviction that reduced his charges to two misdemeanors and no jail time. The estate sold for $750,000, and the proceeds will go toward that restitution.
“If you like an adventure and a challenge, I got it all here,” said Henderson, founder and lead auctioneer of Auction World USA, the Florida-based auction house organizing the much-anticipated sale of what has become one of Bucks County’s most recognized pieces of real estate.
Claire Risoldi purchased the six-bedroom, five-and-a-half bath home on 10 acres with her late first husband, Carl P. Risoldi, and they hosted prominent social events and county Republican fundraisers there. Built in 1989, the Risoldis bought it for $900,000. Its estimated market value today is $1.3 million, according to the county board of assessment.
Those values were based on a home in move-in condition. That description hasn’t applied to Clairemont since Oct. 22, 2013, when a fire heavily damaged the home.
 |
| Auctioneer Mark Henderson and his gavel |
That didn’t seem to matter to the people gathered in the circular driveway of the home Saturday. Most were contractors, builders or Realtors who were there for anonymous bidders.
The auction got off to a slow start.
Henderson started the bidding at $850,000, $100,000 over the recommended opening bid. To sweeten the deal, the current owners, The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, agreed to throw in any items left in the house. That included scorched antique paintings, piles of artificial flowers and Christmas decorations, a pair of marble toilet seats and 5-foot-high wall safe.
No takers.
$800,000, $750,000, $700,000.
Still no takers.
“It works so much better when someone raises their hand,” Henderson chided.
$600,000 ... $550,000 ... $500,000.
No takers.
“How many people think $400,000 would be a good buy, anybody? A show of hands, anybody?” Henderson said.
“With that thought in mind, who will give me $400,000? Henderson said. “Let’s have an auction.”
A hand shot up.
“Yes, $400,000,” Henderson said. “See, it didn’t hurt a bit.”
From there the bids bounced around the crowd like a beach ball.
“Got 700, looking for 725,” Henderson said. “The decision is here. The decision is now. When the gavel drops, the auction will be over.”
“725 ... 750, sir ... 775, anybody else? 775 ... 775 ... 775 ... 775 ... 775 ... all done?”
The $750,000 bid was offered by man standing in the front row who said he was a contractor acting as an agent for a potential buyer. The contractor didn’t give his name or the buyer’s. He also didn’t hint what the plans for the property would be.
 |
| Unidentified contractor with winning bid |
But before banging the gavel, Henderson had to speak to a Pennsylvania Attorney General representative, who had final say. Would it be a deal or no deal?
Moments later, Henderson returned to his spot on the brick stairs.
“They said, ‘Mark, sell it.’”
I got a 750 bid, anybody else? 775 going once. 775 going twice. 775 third and final time.
Sold for $750,000.
No comments:
Post a Comment