Cedar Rapids Weather
Landlord's Items up for AuctionBy Mark Geary, Reporter
CEDAR RAPIDS – Cedar Rapids landlord Robert Miell is now scheduled to be sentenced June 7th.
It was postponed last September after Miell switched attorneys so he could testify. Miell faces up to 24 years in prison for tax and mail fraud and perjury charges. Miell is one of the largest landowners in Cedar Rapids with 460 properties. As part of his bankruptcy, a court started auctioning off all those assets. "When we walked into his home, we were blown away. There were a lot of items we didn't expect to see,” auctioneer Randy Backes said. The court is selling Miell's stuff to help pay off the landlord's debt. Some people at the auction questioned where Miell got all these items. "Nobody in their right mind would have 14 TVs, 27 stereos and 40 bikes. It had to have been a collection of tenant's property,” auction attendee Keith Lacy said. Another attendee, Orrin Miller said, "I just can't believe one person would own so much." Merchandise came out of the landlord's garages. Higher priced collectables he kept inside the house will go on the auction block later. Everyone tried to get a bargain. Some left with nothing. Others felt the auction made a statement. "I think it's sad for the people who lost the things they worked hard to get, but it's poetic that he's losing everything he thought he had accumulated,” Lacy said. No matter how much the items sell for, the cash won't erase the anger and frustration many of Miell's former tenants still hold onto. Over the next few weeks, the Backes Auctioneers in Raymond will auction off more expensive items ranging from rare Christmas decorations to Beatles memorabilia. Visit http://www.backes-auction.com for more information. More Good Stuff |
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