Wayne County Treasurer Announces March 31 Deadline for those Impacted by Tax Foreclosures 


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Wayne County residents who are facing property tax foreclosure have until March 31, 2025 to set up a payment plan with the Treasurer’s office. Affected residents will have received a notice from the Treasurer.

video eric sabree.mp4

“We’re urging them to contact us because we have payment plans they can get into,” said Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree. “If they’re low income or have some kind of hardship, they can get an extension for one year.”

Residents can set up an appointment to meet with the Treasurer’s office through treasurer.waynecounty.com. The office can also be reached at 313-224- 5990. Those without appointments will be seen, but those with appointments will receive priority. 

The payment plan applies to residents who both own and occupy the home in question.  The Interest Reduction Stipulated Payment Agreement (IRSPA) offers residents a six percent interest rate over five years as opposed to the normal 18 percent interest rate. The IRSPA effectively allows residents to pay less money per month while still remaining in their homes.

Residents who are living in a home that was owned by a deceased family member can receive free legal help in order to establish their ownership of the home. 

“We have attorneys that will help you file a probate petition,” Sabree said. “If you’re facing foreclosure and have filed a probate petition, we will remove that property from the foreclosure list while probate is going on. When probate is over and the judge decides who the property belongs to, that person can then receive the benefits of being both the owner and the occupant.”

Those who lost property to tax foreclosure between 2015 and 2020 may be entitled to retroactive compensation. Owners may receive the difference between the amount they owed in taxes and the amount the property sold for,  the amount owed in taxes as well commission and expenses.

To file a claim, residents can visit treasurer.waynecounty.com and click on claims. They will fill out the state of Michigan’s Treasury office form and turn it in by March 31, 2025. Forms are accepted by in-person visits to the office or by certified mail. 

Once a claim is filed, the Treasurer’s office has until July to process the claim. A judge will decide if there are any other interested parties. If there are no other interested parties,  the Treasurer’s office has 21 days in which to issue a check to the claimant.

“That money’s available, it belongs to the taxpayers,” Sabree said. “We urge them to file as soon as possible because they only have until March 31.”

 
  
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