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VIDALIA, La. — A Sheriff’s Sale of the former Vidalia Mills property is stalled for appraisals to be completed first, officials said.

The property belonging to Vidalia Industrial Facilities LLC — also known as Vidalia Mills — was advertised for a Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Sale on April 9. However, the auction is postponed indefinitely while parish officials wait for paperwork. The property must have two property appraisals — one from the plaintiff and one from the defendant — that come within 10 percent of each other to start the sale. The sale starts at two-thirds of the appraised value. The sale will include a total of 81.87 acres of land, the 900,000-square foot building and numerous pieces of equipment on the property.

Vidalia Mills owes approximately $32.5 million in principal cost, interest and late charges as of Nov. 14, 2024, to Jefferson Financial Federal Credit Union and Greater Nevada Credit Union.

The plant never reopened as promised by Vidalia CEO Dan Feibus after its shutdown in November 2024. Former employees report not receiving their past-due wages or tax documents.

During Vidalia Mills’ startup in 2018, the company was granted a $25 million loan from Jefferson Financial Federal Credit Union and another $5 million from Greater Nevada Credit Union for additional equipment and working capital. According to 7th Judicial District Court records, the loan payments were twice deferred. The first deferment was dated May 22, 2020, and the second was dated Jan. 27, 2021.

The facility and land, soon to be auctioned off, became the Town of Vidalia’s property after the departure of Fruit of the Loom in 2017. In 2018, the town sold it to Vidalia Industrial for $12 million. However, in an agreement facilitated by Natchez Inc., $8 million of the purchase was to be granted back to Vidalia Mills for capital improvements to the site.

There was also a clawback agreement that if Vidalia Industrial did not meet certain payroll requirements, those funds would revert back to the Town of Vidalia. Feibus claims Vidalia Mills met those stipulations with a smaller than expected number of people employed with higher-than-expected wages, but Vidalia Mayor Bus Craft said it did not.

According to the deed paperwork, the city has an option to purchase the property back for $4 million, which is the purchase amount minus the $8 million grant.

The town has hired attorneys to investigate whether it can recoup any of the grant money.