Rossville officials are preparing to auction three houses and two lots for back taxes.

The sheriff’s auction is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 10 a.m. on the steps of the Walker County Courthouse in LaFayette. The auction is part of an ongoing crackdown on delinquent property taxes, Sherry Foster, clerk for the city of Rossville, said last month.

As of the end of July, the city listed about 20 pieces of property for auction, but most have paid their taxes since the city announced plans to auction the properties, mayor Johnny Baker said Thursday. The back taxes owed on the five properties total nearly $4,200.

Appalachian Mountain Services will handle the sales, Foster said.

The city last auctioned properties with delinquent taxes Oct. 2, 2001. Ten properties, including one house, were auctioned then and brought in $36,902 of the nearly $60,532 in back taxes owed.

Officials said taxes on some properties sold in the 2001 auction had not been paid in 10 years, with many about four years behind