Charleston, WV – State Auditor Mark Hunt, a former state senator elected to the auditor’s office in 2024, has come under scrutiny after it was discovered that he personally signed nine tax deeds between March and June 2025. The deeds were issued to MAPA LLC, a land‑holding company owned by bankruptcy attorney Robert L. Johns and his wife Patricia.
Legal framework and alleged violations
West Virginia law designates the deputy land commissioner as the official signatory for deeds that transfer ownership of properties seized for unpaid taxes. Hunt’s office, which now handles the sale of delinquent‑tax properties, is responsible for processing the paperwork but not for signing the deeds themselves.
According to state records, two of the nine deeds Hunt signed were completed after the deadline required by law. Hunt explained the delays by citing a “disarray” of files in the land division when he assumed office in 2025, saying the office was “in boxes” and that he acted to prevent potential lawsuits.
Lawmakers question the practice
Republican Sen. Ryan Weld, a property‑rights attorney, called the signatures “extremely troubling” and suggested the actions appeared intentional. “On its face, it looks as if it’s intentional. And so you have to ask the question: Why?” Weld asked.
Del. Tristan Leavitt, president of the nonprofit law firm Empower Oversight, warned that public officials cannot pick and choose which statutes to follow. “The law isn’t a buffet a public official can pick and choose from at will,” he said, adding that any mistake should be remedied by applying to a judge for execution of the deed.
Hunt’s defense
Hunt defended his actions, stating that the deputy commissioner works under his authority and that it would be “foolish to think that the commissioner’s boss couldn’t sign the same deed.” He also cited a different piece of state code and “common law” as justification for his authority to sign.
When asked whether the practice was a one‑time correction or a broader policy, Hunt said he would have acted the same way for any buyer, naming “Bob Johns, Bob Smith, Tom Johns, Tom Smith” as examples. He emphasized that the nine deeds represented a small fraction of the roughly 17,000 deeds processed by the auditor’s office each year.
Potential conflict of interest
Records show that Robert Johns worked as a consultant for the auditor’s office in 2025, receiving just over $14,000 in pay. He also served as a bankruptcy trustee for McDowell County in 2024, a role Hunt said justified keeping Johns on the payroll to assist other financially distressed municipalities.
Patricia Johns contributed $1,000 to Hunt’s 2024 campaign and the same amount to his 2022 state‑senate run, raising questions about the appearance of cronyism. MAPA LLC’s portfolio of delinquent‑tax parcels is valued at approximately $38 million.
What comes next?
State code provides a remedy: any party who believes a deed was improperly issued may petition a circuit court to set the deed aside. Critics say the law should be enforced consistently to protect property owners from losing homes due to procedural errors.
Sen. Weld and other lawmakers have indicated they will consider legislative clarification to ensure the deputy land commissioner remains the sole signatory for tax‑sale deeds, reinforcing property‑rights protections enacted in recent years.
The auditor’s office has not yet commented on whether it will change its internal procedures or pursue any legal challenges to the nine deeds in question.
Original reporting: WCHS Eyewitness News Charleston (local) — read the source article.
