A judge’s ruling Tuesday will exclude some owner-occupied properties in Wayne County from tax foreclosure until next March.
Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabry said on Tuesday that many taxpayers are not filling out applications for the statewide relief program and need more time and help. It said it has petitioned the Third Circuit Court not to foreclose on homes occupied by tax delinquent owners.
The extension will last until March 31, 2023. This includes his 1,800 owner-occupied properties, mostly in Detroit, Sabree estimates.
“Many people have applied for funding for the year, but they either didn’t notify us or weren’t sure if they should have notified us, and I fear many have applied. (about them),” Sabry said on Tuesday.
The order, issued by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Timothy M. Kenny, does not apply to taxable property owners prior to 2016 and does not include properties not owned by the owner, such as rental properties. Hmm.
The ruling comes amid a looming Thursday deadline for Wayne County residents with 2019 or earlier property tax liabilities to pay their taxes or enter into payment plans to avoid foreclosure. rice field.
Sabree has previously said that she will meet deadlines. There used to be extensions.
Word that certain foreclosures would be halted came just hours after a resolution was passed unanimously by Detroit city council members on Tuesday, with some community advocates lashing out at the fixed assets of owners’ homes this year. The COVID-19 pandemic continues after urging Sabrie to extend the moratorium on tax foreclosures.
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A tax foreclosure is the process by which a homeowner loses property because he or she did not pay property taxes.
In 2020, there were no foreclosures due to the economic impact of the pandemic. And last year, Sabree asked the Wayne County Circuit Court to stay the foreclosure of occupied property due to ongoing pandemic-related hardships, despite the continued foreclosure of vacant homes and lots. submitted. The suspension period is until Thursday.
According to Sabree, as of Tuesday before the ruling, there were fewer than 2,500 owner-occupied properties, including rental properties at risk of foreclosure this year, and about 10,000 properties not being used by owners. There were 4,000.
Community groups doing direct outreach said Tuesday they need more time to reach people.
“What we have found is that most of these are not people who are in arrears just because they didn’t bother to pay. And so on, for complicated reasons,” he said. Eastside Community Network Chief Operating Officer Angela Wilson said:
In announcing its decision not to foreclose on certain homes, Sabree cited the ongoing economic hardships caused by the pandemic.
The Detroit-based nonprofit, which provides resources and programs for economic development, businesses, and youth, began calling residents earlier this month, knocking on their doors, asking them about their next deadline and their options. I’ve been letting you know.
The group has called more than 1,000 residents at risk of foreclosure, knocked on about 700 doors, and homeowners with overdue property tax debts in offices of about 100. Wilson said he helped them apply for statewide grants to help people with disabilities.
“Community organizations are just asking for more time for residents and homeowners to get in touch with these resources,” Bernadette Atuahene of the Grassroots Coalition for Property Tax Justice said at a city council meeting on Tuesday. Stated.
The state launched a program earlier this year called the Michigan Homeowners Assistance Fund (MIHAF). The program helps income eligible Wayne County residents living in their homes avoid foreclosure, regardless of the tax year. To apply, visit Michigan.gov/MIHAF. For further assistance, please call 844-756-4423.
Forward a copy of your confirmation, including your name, property address, parcel identification number and MIHAF confirmation number, by email to [email protected]
Nushrat Rahman is a member of The GroundTruth Project’s initiative Report for America, covering issues related to economic liquidity for the Detroit Free Press and Bridge Detroit. Please make a tax deductible donation to support her work at bit.ly/freepRFA.
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