PARSONS, Kans. — You now have a chance to enhance your property ownership in southeast Kansas.

Applications are now available for two properties in Parsons — containing structures — owned by the Parsons Land Bank. Both are located at 1621 Chess Avenue and 2504 Stevens Avenue, respectively. They are originally priced at 75% of the appraisal price and can be negotiable. Land Bank officials will meet in January to set a deadline for receiving those applications.

If you’re not familiar with the Parsons Land Bank, they obtain forgotten properties and provide a new life for them. A building inspector will assess the structure and determine whether a remodel or a complete demolition could take place.

They’re also currently taking submissions for future property listings.

Land Bank Manager, Joan Vitt, says this endeavor provides many benefits for land owners.

“You might have a piece of property that’s been out for a while and now there’s back taxes on it — and it’s just part of life. So, what we want to do is say to those people — ‘you know what, if you have these properties available — give me a call — we’ll see if it’s something that fits into the Land Bank program’. We will wipe those back taxes out if we take those in. They won’t have that problem — and they’ll get a piece of paper that’s gonna say ‘here’s the donation that I gave to the city of Parsons — for the Land Bank — and it will potentially help them on their future taxes,” said Vitt.

You can contact the Parsons Land Bank for questions regarding the application process — or to obtain one by calling 620-421-7030 or by email at parsonslandbank@parsonsks.com.