Steals, deals up for grabs at sheriff's auction

8 vehicles, 100 pieces of furniture up for bid

Courtesty Photo

This 2004 Ford Taurus police car will be up for bid at an auction Saturday.

Residents searching for a used car or office equipment will get the chance to buy both for cheap when the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office holds their annual auction this Saturday.

The vehicles, which are always a big draw, include a 2004 Ford Taurus and a 2000 Dodge Intrepid. Some of the vehicles are seizures but most were used by deputies in the Sheriff’s Office.

“I have seen vehicles without a motor go for $100 or $200,” Chief Civil Deputy Maisy Robicheaux said. “Some of the seized cars sell for $3,000 to $5,000.”

Most of the vehicles at the auction have high mileage, Robicheaux added.  The vehicles are sold “as is, no guarantees,” but maintenance personnel has information about some of the vehicles that they can  pass on at the auction.

“That way, someone knows if they are purchasing a vehicle with a bad engine,” she said.

Robicheaux said that the auction usually has more vehicles, but that the Sheriff’s Office held one in January.

While the sheriff’s auction usually consists of vehicles only, this year 100 pieces of furniture will be auctioned off. The furniture was not needed when the Sheriff’s Office moved into their new building in Luling, Robicheaux said.
Fourteen metal desks, 10 bookshelves, 20 stationary chairs, four computer desks and 13 filing cabinets are just some of the items that will be up for bid. A tire machine, with a minimum bid of $1,000, will also be auctioned off.

The auction usually attracts a pretty big turnout with people coming from the surrounding areas to check out what’s available.

“We have more than 100 people show up on average, but not all of them sign up to bid,” Robicheaux said.

Fifteen years ago, the Sheriff’s Office used a sealed bid process to sell the vehicles. Robicheaux said changing it to a live auction has increased competition.

The auction will be held on June 25 at the new Sheriff’s Office building, located at 260 Judge Edward Dufresne Parkway in Luling. The event gets underway at 10 a.m., but anyone interested in taking a look at the vehicles and furniture may do so on June 24 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

All items can be purchased with cash or cashier’s checks. No personal or company checks without a bank letter of guarantee valid for 15 days after the auction will be accepted.

Once buyers remove vehicles they must register them in their names at the DMV and secure insurance.