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Chemtall buys chairman's property
McIvers Home
Liberty County Commission Chairman John McIver’s home, recently appraised at $56,512, was purchased by Chemtall for about $400,000. - photo by Photo by Frenchi Jones
Riceboro-based Chemtall is buying more property near its plant.
A house owned by John McIver, chairman of the Liberty County Commission, was purchased by the international corporation on Jan. 30 for almost eight times its appraised value.
The 1,100 square-foot home, which faces South Highway 17, is a three bedroom house on approximately 1.2 acres of land, directly in front of the plant.
In 2007, the Liberty County Tax Assessors Office appraised the market value of the home to be $56,512.
Chemtall paid McIver approximately $400,000. The estimated amount is based on the $400 real estate transfer tax that is listed on the deed.
McIver would not elaborate on the sale, saying it should not be anyone’s concern.
“If I sold my property, that is my personal business and I am not going to talk about it,” he said.
Jim Carlson, who represents Chemtall, said his company respects McIver’s privacy. 
“What we do with McIver is between Mr. McIver and ourselves,” he said. “We’re respecting his wishes and he’s respecting our wishes.”
The last private property purchases made by Chemtall, according to the Liberty County clerk’s office records, were in 2006 and 2007.
In 2007, Chemtall purchased the property of the Shilo Mission Temple. There was no transfer tax on the deed. In 2007, it purchased James Horton’s property, also along Highway 17, for approximately $100,000, according to the deed.
Horton’s house sat on 3.2 acres near the plant.
Carlson would not give an explanation for the McIver purchase, but he did say there are no plans for the plant to expand.
“We are not looking to do any development on that piece of property,” he said. 
In the past, company officials have said they were interested in buying property near the plant so residents could move farther away from it.

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