The March 31 deadline is approaching for Wayne County residents to pay their property taxes in arrears to avoid foreclosure.
People with property tax liabilities for 2019 or earlier must pay off their taxes or enter a payment plan by the end of the month before their property was auctioned off in the fall.
Tenants don’t have to leave their property if it is eventually foreclosed, said Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabry.
As of Thursday, there were 3,177 owners and 5,032 non-owners. Properties, including rental properties, are at risk of foreclosure this year, according to the Treasury Department. Most are in Detroit.
Sabree estimates that about 1,200 owner-occupied homes and as many as 2,000 or 3,000 renters could be foreclosed this year.
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In 2020, there were no foreclosures due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. And last year, Sabry filed a request in Wayne County Circuit Court to stay the foreclosure of occupied property due to the ongoing pandemic-related hardships, but the foreclosure of vacant lots and lots continues. That was until March 31st.
Sabree has indicated that it intends to stick to this year’s deadline. There used to be extensions.
Tax foreclosure — the process by which homeowners lose property because they didn’t pay their property taxes — has seen one-third of the city’s property seized since 2008, leaving homeowners with at least $600 million in tax dollars. is an ongoing concern in Detroit. According to a 2020 Detroit News study.
Although the number of tax foreclosures on Detroit’s occupied homes has declined in recent years, there are still people struggling to pay their delinquent tax debts.
Groups such as the Eastside Community Network, a Detroit-based nonprofit that provides resources and programs for economic development, business, and youth, are calling residents, knocking on doors, and asking if deadlines are up. We are informing you of what is coming and what your options are.
“We want people to know that they are not alone and that our goal is to help them keep their homes,” said Angela Wilson, chief operating officer of the Eastside Community Network. I’m here to make sure you know.
Here’s a quick rundown of what taxpayers need to know:
How can I find out if my property is at risk of foreclosure?
The Free Press has partnered with Outlier Media (which operates an SMS text message service) to allow Detroit residents to text HOUSING to 67485 to find their address and find out if it is in danger of foreclosure. I made it Data he is as of February 14th. .
The latest information may be available at
How can I help pay my property tax liability?
Last month, the state launched a program called the Michigan Homeowner Assistance Fund. This can help eligible residents of the home avoid foreclosure. To apply, visit Michigan.gov/MIHAF. For further assistance, please call 844-756-4423.
Taxpayers can let the Treasury know that they have applied for the program and avoid having their property seized for another year, Sabree said.
The county has other assistance programs that can lower interest rates, put people on payment plans, and help some landlords and business owners hit hard by the economic hit of the pandemic.
For more information, visit bit.ly/WayneCountyPaymentPlans or email [email protected].
Accounting offices are available for bookings Monday through Friday, including Saturdays in March. Visit bit.ly/WayneCountyTreasurerHours to set up an appointment.
Income-eligible taxpayers can also apply for a poverty tax exemption through their local assessment office. Detroit calls it the Homeowners Property Exemption (HOPE) program, and the city is accepting her 2022 application.
People eligible for poverty relief may be eligible for the Wayne County Treasurer’s Pay As You Stay Program (PAYS). This will reduce your tax liability.
Another program called the Detroit Tax Relief Fund can help you get your delinquent taxes to zero. For program information, visit the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency website at www.waynemetro.org/dtrf/.
What if I am a renter and my property is at risk of foreclosure?
Tenants do not have to leave their homes after March 31st. At that point, ownership of the property passes to the county treasurer. The foreclosed properties will then be available for purchase by local, state, and county governments before public auctions in the fall. Tenants can check with the treasurer about the status of their property.
“We don’t evict anyone,” Savely said of his office. Tenants shouldn’t be “running around,” he said.
Starting July 1, the city will be able to purchase homes through a so-called “veto” process. Tenants may become homeowners during this time. Since 2017, the Make It Home program (a partnership of the United Community Housing Coalition, City of Detroit, and Quicken Loans Community Fund) has helped residents of foreclosed homes purchase properties before the auction.
United Community Housing Coalition executive director Ted Phillips said the nonprofit is already working with potential candidates for the program.
Tenants’ rights aren’t going to change much just because the property is headed for foreclosure, he said. Told.
“Landlords can’t collect rent after April 1 if they don’t own the property. .
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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