Notable owners head to foreclosure sales
By Kevin Huelsmann, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
August 6, 2011
A former major league pitcher and a famous actress and singer have properties in Teton County that are headed for the auction block this month.
Later this month Teton County Sheriff’s Office staff is slated to auction a vacant lot owned by former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz and a property in Indian Springs that is owned by singer and actress Connie Stevens Fisher.
Smoltz owes Wells Fargo Bank roughly $1.6 million on a lot in the Snake River Sporting Club, a troubled development that has changed hands several times since 2004 and been at the center of a major bankruptcy case, according to county records.
Smoltz took out a mortgage on the property from Jackson State Bank and Trust in December 2005 for $1.6 million, according to county records.
Smoltz was a major league pitcher for more than two decades. He spent a majority of his career with the Atlanta Braves, with whom he won a World Series Championship. He was an eight-time all-star and won the Cy Young Award in 1996.
He retired from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009 and began working as a sports broadcaster and analyst.
Smoltz’s lot currently is set to go up for auction Aug. 23.
Two days later, staff from the sheriff’s office will put up for auction a home owned by Fisher, who once starred in the television series “Maverick.”
Fisher owes roughly $2.8 million on a property in Indian Springs, according to county records.
County records show Fisher took out her first mortgage in 1994 and in subsequent years cycled through several additional mortgages.
Fisher starred in the television series “Hawaiian Eye” from 1959 to 1962 and went on to record several hit singles in the early 1960s. She has acted on Broadway and been in numerous films over the last several decades.
The properties owned by Smoltz and Fisher are only two of more than a dozen foreclosure auctions scheduled through early September. This week three properties were auctioned back to banks.
A full list of foreclosures can be found in the News&Guide’s legal advertisements or by visiting www.tetonsheriff.org and clicking on the civil processes division.