More than 50 acres of wooded land in north Westport could soon become town property, if a warrant article at next month’s Town Meeting is approved by voters.

The 51.3 acres of landlocked, forested land off Briggs Road is currently owned by the estate of Kurt G. Christ and Janice M. Cardillo of Dalton, NH, and has not changed hands since 1981.

The property, lots 6 and 7 on plat map 29, is assessed at $250,000 and is subject to a tax taking by the tax assessor’s office due to unpaid taxes. But the owners recently decided they no longer want the land, town administrator James Hartnett said. In lieu of foreclosure, they offered to give it to the town.

“The property owners essentially no longer want to pay taxes (and) want to get rid of it,” he said.

Unlike a standard tax taking, in which the property owner can reclaim title after paying back taxes and penalties owed, Hartnett told members of the finance committee last week that warrant article 22 would authorize a taking, but a “donation” giving the town permanent title to the property in exchange for forgiveness of what is owed.

The land abuts several other town-owned parcels and another owned by the Westport Land Conservation Trust. Finance committee members recommended to Hartnett that before the town goes ahead, the land should be examined and vetted by the conservation commission and board of health so it does not become a liability for the town if problems with it are found. Hartnett said that he would make sure that happens, and added that the warrant article does not itself require the town to accept the donation; it just authorizes the town to go forward if officials choose to.