Nearly 1,000 personal items belonging to former Switzerland County School Corporation treasurer Ann Geyman went on the auction block this past Saturday in Madison – and after the final item was sold, nearly $57,000 was erased from the more than $1 million debt that Ann Geyman owes the school corporation.
Ann Geyman has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $1 million over a four year period from the school corporation. Her thefts were discovered last May, and she is scheduled to be sentenced in Federal Court on March 7th.
As part of her efforts to repay the money that she stole, Ann Geyman turned over a large number of personal items that were to be sold at auction, with the net proceeds going against the debt.
Switzerland County auctioneer Robert Owings was hired by the school board to supervise and hold the auction.
The auction was held at the National Guard Armory in Madison, and drew a large number of people – some interested bidders while others were just curious as to the types of things that were sold.
The items covered the gambit, ranging from a Rhino all terrain vehicle to antiques to collectible stoneware and purses. Tables of collectible baskets were next to flats filled with all types of jewelry. Dolls of all sizes and types were also popular.
There was also a touch of the bizarre, as a mannequin dressed in a vintage waitress uniform was sold; as was an old uniform worn by a Cola-Cola employee.
At the end of the auction, a total of 732 sales slips had been filled out and turned over to the sale clerk – but some of those sales involved more than one piece of merchandise.
“If we had sold each and every thing individually, we might still be there,” Bob Owings said. “But selling things in groups also brought a higher price, and overall I think it was a very good sale.”
With the crowd filled with dealers, many people were amazed at some of the winning bids.
A sampling:
– The Rhino all terrain vehicle brought a winning bid of $8,550.
– A ceramic Hires Root Beer dispenser brought $600.
– A crank-type butter churn was purchased for $500.
– A stone washboard was sold for a price of $950.
– A six-jar spice set brought a bid of $1,250.
– A swirl blue and white coffee pot was sold with a winning bid of $1,000.
– There was also an antique canister set that Bob Owings gave bidders the opportunity to buy as a complete set or be auctioned off in units. That canister set brought a winning total bid of $2,740.
The details of the auction stated that all expenses associated with the auction would be paid first, with the net proceeds going to help cover the school debt. The current auction net total is $56,773.26.
Superintendent Darin Gullion said that the net amount is currently considered “tentative”, because the school needs to make sure that all of the checks that were written at the auction clear the bank, and that everything wraps up in a normal fashion.