A new policy from Wayne County Treasurer Ray Wojtowicz essentially makes it impossible for some homeowners to catch up on delinquent property taxes in time to save their property from foreclosure.
Detroit News: Wojtowicz had been letting owners pay their bills and retain their properties up to the September and October foreclosure auctions. But that caused too many problems, said county treasury officials, who are required by law to allow communities and the state to take possession of any foreclosed properties they want several weeks prior to the auction.
The new policy blocks owners in foreclosure from paying during July. Deputy Treasurer David Szymanski said taxpayers can still save their properties come Aug. 1, if the local communities and state don’t want them.
That's just fantastic because everyone knows neighborhoods improve greatly when local and state governments own foreclosed properties instead of homeowners.
Apparently, this whole thing started because the City of Dearborn Heights was really craving a particular piece of property in foreclosure and got all red-assed when they learned its owner was allowed to redeem the property by (quelle horreur) paying his back property taxes!
Just how ridiculous is this? So ridiculous that even Detroit officials, like city planning director Karla Henderson, say they'd rather have back property taxes instead of foreclosed property. However, officials in other cities are relishing the opportunity to play land baron.
Detroit News: Westland Mayor William Wild said his city generally buys about a dozen properties a year, slating houses for rehabilitation or demolition.
“Then we have a little bit more control over the property ... to promote home ownership rather than rentals,” Wild said.
Yes, nothing says free and prosperous community like a government that has "a little bit more control over the property."
Good looking out, Wild.
