The Holland Sports Marina Auctioned Off Today.
There were no successful buyers for the real estate today at the auction for the former Holland Sports Marina.
I got to the auction for the real estate just as it finished and one of the people who came to bid on it said that someone had put in a bid of $150,000 but that the bank's representative put a final bid in of $225,000 which ended the bidding and resulted in them buying it back.
According to records at the registry of deeds, the property was bought by David R & Karen J Pellett of 165 Bartlett Street, Portland, CT 06480, for $580,500 on April 27, 2007 (book 16653, page 256). Webster Bank granted a mortgage to David R. Pellett and Karen J. Pellett in the amount of $451,000 on April 30, 2007 (book 16653, page 258).
There were fifteen to twenty people present for the auction which also included the remaining inventory consisting of some used boats, parts, boat motors, and maintenance items that were sold off in lots. Some of the items did not sell, such as a large pallet of 50lb bags of coal that were offered at a starting bid of $1 per bag, and the boat slip docks at $10 a piece along, with some of the boats. One man purchased a wall of used boat motors for $400, and there was a large quantity of new items such as motor oil and antifreeze that went for pennies on the dollar.
The Holland Sports Marina is another casualty of our deteriorating economy. The decreased sale of gas at the pump and being unable to get people to come into the Marina for impulse buying of items as well as our poor economic conditions undoubtedly led to its demise. I don't know the present owners, but I grew up in Holland back in the 50's and 60's when Edgar and Mae Langevin had a thriving business there and who then had the exclusive franchise for Evinrude. They were wonderful people who built up the business by paying attention to every single sale. We as kids always felt welcome there. Hamilton Reservoir has changed a lot since then. We don't have the summer crowd at the beach we used to have. Does anybody remember when you had no choice but to slow down going by Bopp's Landing (now PJ's)?
The beach was full, the takeout place across the street from Bopp's had people all day long and had the best hamburgers on the planet, and a lot of the dads could go in for a brew while their family played on the beach and you were lucky if you could get a parking spot in the vacant lot which is now Team Hoyt's.
Perhaps someone will reopen the marina, but it isn't likely. Someone mentioned at the auction that the house out front is a teardown and appeared to have asbestos siding on it which will add to the cost of demolition. Perhaps the person's bid of $150,000 today is more indicative of today's value and is probably more realistic as to what the bank will end up selling it for with the continuing trend of depleting values as millions of foreclosures are yet to be sold off. The risk takers and investors appear to be gone as the values continue to deteriorate.
Leslie & Gerry Germaine
Hisgen House Bed & Breakfast
78 Hisgen Road
Holland, Massachusetts 01521
Tel 413 245 6267
or 508 347 6300