The future of a Butler County staple remains uncertain after no buyer sought to purchase the historic Hotel Saxonburg in a sheriff’s sale last week.
That means ownership of the nearly 200-year-old restaurant reverts to Northwest Bank, according to Sgt. Bobbiejo Walker of the Butler Sheriff’s office.
A Northwest Bank spokesperson said the bank is “actively marketing the Hotel Saxonburg property to potential new owners.” Interested parties can call attorney Nicholas Pagliari at 814-870-7754, the spokesperson said.
Pagliari didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
According to Butler County court records, hotel owners Annette Gervais and Lee Uncapher defaulted on loans of $600,000 and $50,000 from Northwest Bank.
The two bought the property under the company name Two20 LLC for $625,000 from previous owner Judy Ferree.
Total judgment on the sale listing was about $701,000. The online-only sheriff sale Friday ended without anyone bidding on the property.
The longtime Saxonburg hallmark — listed on the National Register of Historic places — abruptly closed last March. The owners said on social media the closure was due to health issues, rising costs of food and the growing expenses associated with maintaining the business.
The sale had originally been set for Jan. 16 before being postponed to last Friday.
Without a sheriff’s sale buyer, Walker said, the bank could sell the property as it pleases.
She said the sheriff’s office would no longer be involved in the sales process.