Facing $3.8 Million in IRS Liens, Vratsinas Lists His West Des Moines Mansion for Sale

Troubled businessman John Vratsinas has his West Des Moines mansion for sale with an asking price of $1.3 million, $425,000 more than he paid for it in October 2005.

If sold for the asking price, the proceeds would be enough to satisfy $1.2 million in liens the IRS filed earlier this month to recover 2012 payroll taxes that should have paid on behalf of mainly small businesses contracting with Vrastsinas’s company, InFocus Partners, and its subsidiaries.

But Vratsinas’s troubles with the IRS go deeper. IRS liens against Vratsinas and his various companies date back to 2006, and the latest filing is part of an overall $3.8 million collection effort.

Follow this developing story by having our West Des Moines Patch newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning. It's free and there's no firewall. For updates during the day, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

His attorney, Christopher James, said last week that Vratsinas plans to make good on the 2012 tax obligations this month and that he is current on a payment schedule on the older liens. James didn’t say how long it will take Vratsinas to pay off the older tax liabilities.

In the meantime, RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts listing agent Ryan Rivera is waiting for a call on the Vratsinas property at 3120 Jordan Grove.

The home in the elegant West Des Moines neighborhood oozes luxury from the marble-floored entry and grand grand staircase to a piano room with a cozy fireplace. The vaulted living room has a floor-to-ceiling fireplace and window offering a breathtaking view. The four-bedroom, five-bath house was built in 1990.

The master bedroom has a private balcony, and a “nonconforming” lower-level bedroom that could be a den or a “man cave,” according to the RE/MAX property description.

According to Polk County property records, the buildings and land are assessed $651,900. Vratsinas and his wife, Stacy Ann, also own an adjacent undeveloped lot in the Jordan Grove subdivsion. The assessed value of that property is $13,800. It’s just under 1 acre in size.

Take a pictorial tour of the mansion on Aol Real Estate.

The couple also owns a house in the Clear Lake resort area valued at $500,000 and an adjacent lot valued at $268,320, according to Cerro Gordo county property records.

Coincidentally, Patch spotlighted the West Des Moines property in its regular real estate coverage featuring properties for sale in West Des Moines on Oct. 7, days after the IRS filed the latest rounds against Vratsinas and his companies.

Catch up on the story on Patch: