Bingo hall faces foreclosure

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Clark County Prosecuter has filed a notice of foreclosure against a Springfield bingo hall, because of unpaid taxes.

Now owners said, they were struggling to keep the doors open. Court records stated, the organization owed more than $48,000 in delinquent property taxes, for the property on Lagonda Avenue. The Sheriff had been notified to sell the facility in a public auction, in 2010.

Wings of Love is not just a bingo hall, it is also Church that has been in the community for 21 years. 2 News spoke to the owners, who said they were trying to come up with the money they owed. They were sending out letters to the community, and organizing fundraisers to keep the doors open.

Every Tuesday and Thursday night, owners said, about a 150 people sat in the hall to play Bingo. Thousands more spent a few dollars to take a chance with instant tickets. Owners said about 90% of the money they made was donated to local charities that helped children, and the elderly.

"It would devastate me. We spent 21 years doing this, we've been in this building for 19 years," said Cheryl Miller, Secretary and Treasurer at Wings of Love.

Miller said they got behind on taxes because of law changes, and a reappraisal of the property by the county auditors office. It was once appraised at $144,000, now the value was listed at $520,000. That jacked up the tax bill by $15,000.

"When you have people who are delinquent in their taxes it hurts the schools, it hurts the community," said Clark County Sheriff Gene Kelly.

2 News has obtained an email stating, according to the State Attorney General's office division of Charitable Fraud, Wings of Love reportedly raked in about $358,000 from bingo games, last yer.

2 News asked Miller why they were behind on taxes if they made that amount of money.

"You also have to realize, that out of that comes the supplies for Bingo, the building payment itself, and utilities are around $6,000 a month," said Miller.

Miller said the Wings of Love church had provided gifts for thousands of children, hosted Christmas parties and fulfilled wish lists for hundreds of nursing home residents, through their donations. Now they were hoping those they supported would lend them a helping hand..

"I'm going to do everything within our power to make sure it doesn't happen. I don't want the people that depend on us to be left holding the bag," said Miller.

Owners said they planned to work out a payment plan with the county. According to state law, they can make payments until the date of the Sheriff's sale, and could even get a grace period beyond that.