China Garden building in Belmont up for auction

BELMONT — Ownership of a restaurant building and its neighboring residence at 200 Daniel Webster Hwy are up in the air, as the two properties are up for auction later this month.

The Town of Belmont recently seized the ranch-style property of the China Garden restaurant and accompanying three-bedroom rental after a lien was placed there on June 23, 2023, for unpaid 2022 property taxes.

Now, by February, the property will have a new owner, who will determine whether or not the long-term tenants can stay in the residence and if China Garden can continue to operate.

The restaurant remains open for business according to an advertisement in The Laconia Daily Sun, and a help wanted sign is posted outside the eatery. According to Belmont town leaders, the business owners were closed for vacation last week.

“Our schedule is still the same. For us, we don’t change anything,” said Wen Liang Lee, owner of China Garden, in a phone interview with The Laconia Daily Sun.

According to property records, the property is owned by Don Mon Chin. Attempts to contact Chin were unsuccessful.

Town Administrator Alicia Jipson reminded the selectboard at the Dec. 17 meeting about the upcoming auction.

“Over the summer, we did take a tax collector’s deed for the property known as China Garden. The board is moving forward with auctioning that property,” Jipson said.

The commercial property includes an unfinished basement, attic and storage, a finished porch and a cooler and freezer. The three-bedroom rental unit, which shares a driveway with China Garden, includes a basement garage.

The auction for the properties is heavily promoted. Information can be found on the LED sign at the Route 106 Park & Ride in Belmont, as well as an alert on the Town of Belmont website. There were also details published in the Town of Belmont January 2026 e-newsletter.

Hosted by JSJ Auction of Epping, the auction will take place at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30. Bidders must pay a $10,000 non-refundable deposit by the time of sale, with another deposit of $15,000 due by Friday, Feb. 6.

No personal property is up for auction or for sale; real estate only.

An auctioneer’s note states, “The restaurant and home are currently occupied by long time tenants whose desire is to continue to lease the properties. The Town of Belmont will not initiate or participate in the eviction process; the buyer is solely responsible for the removal of any tenants.”

What this means for Chin and Lee remains to be seen. For now, it’s full steamed dumplings ahead.

Those interested in the two properties, valued at $943,700, can preview the buildings one hour prior to the auction start.

“The town is only allowed to retain what it is owed under the law, which is all back taxes, interest, and fees. Any excess funds raised at auction goes to the prior owner,” Jipson said.

For more information, visit belmontnh.gov.

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Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.