PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Nearly $1.2 million in overpayments were allocated to just two of Multnomah County’s real estate purchases, according to examiners.
A lack of oversight in the county’s property acquisition practices has resulted in unnecessary spending, the Multnomah County Auditor’s Office announced in a report released on Wednesday. Investigators determined the excess payments were due to officials’ adhering to the prices of real estate brokers, rather than independent appraisers.
Auditors revealed they launched the probe after a Good Government Hotline complainant alleged officials could have paid over market costs for several real estate purchases. In response, watchdogs hired an independent party to appraise properties that had already been purchased between 2020 and 2023…