MUSKOGEE, Okla. — The oldest college in Oklahoma is off the market, for now, as the Muskogee County Sheriff's Office recalled the Dec. 14 auction.
Bacone College is in a financial deficit after not securing funding before initiating HVAC repairs in 2021. 2 News previously reported the HVAC repair company filed a lawsuit for a breach of contract after not receiving payment for the work done.
The three year battle ended with the college owing Midgley-Huber Energy Concepts $1.5 million. After the lawsuit ended the college tried to secure the funding however MCSO started seizing the property for auction.
MHEC, a Utah based company, looked ahead to the auction and planned to place a bid. The company's president said if he won the property he would allow students and staff to finish the school year before taking over the buildings.
The Sheriff Auction required a minimum bid of 3.5 million, two million more than the debt owed.
MCSO told 2 News the auction is recalled until further notice. Officials did not provide details about why the auction is called off.
The school shared its thoughts on the auctions cancellation in a Facebook post.
Bacone College is the oldest American Indian college in the nation seeing around 50-75% of the students being Native American per year.
2 News is working to learn why the auction was called off and what this means for students and staff.
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