Willie Nelson House Auctioned For Back Taxes

YAKIMA

For all the taxes he's owed before, a house here owned by country singer Willie Nelson was auctioned by the Internal Revenue Service.

More than 50 people, far more than normal for such auctions, gathered in the lobby of a downtown office building for the oral bidding.

``It's probably because he's the one who owns it,'' said Fred Booher, the IRS officer who conducted the auction Friday.

The house was valued at $72,000. Bidding started at $28,500 and ended at $50,500.

That won't go far toward retiring Nelson's $16.7 million tax bill. Nelson failed to pay taxes from 1975 to 1982, except for 1979. In November, the IRS seized properties owned by Nelson in Texas, Washington, Colorado and Alabama.

In addition to the auction price, the buyer assumes the $18,000 still owed on the 1,600-square-foot house, Booher said.

Not all the bidders at Friday's auction were interested in the home's owner.

Percy and Esther Surgeon were attracted by the chance to buy a home cheaply. Surgeon said he was not a fan of Nelson's music.