Wayne County Tax Foreclosures Postponed Another Year for Occupied Properties — But Taxes Are Still Due

Wayne County tax foreclosures have been postponed for occupied properties until March 31, 2022. Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny issued an order to delay the tax auction for occupied properties after receiving a petition from Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree. The order partially extends a moratorium on tax foreclosures already in place that had been set to expire late this week.

Sabree says the move will protect nearly 7,000 properties total: 2,400 owner-occupied properties, 4,100 non-owner-occupied rental properties and about 170 commercial-occupied properties.

“We want to make sure that because of COVID-19, that anyone that’s living in a property or running a business that’s operating, that they don’t lose their property.” — Eric Sabree, Wayne County Treasurer

“We want to make sure that because of COVID-19, that anyone that’s living in a property or running a business that’s operating, that they don’t lose their property,” says Sabree.  

About 5,500 unoccupied properties are still subject to foreclosure if owners don’t pay off their balance or sign up for a payment program by Friday. These are unoccupied properties with unpaid property taxes, fees or interest from 2018 or prior.

Even though occupied properties won’t be subject to foreclosure, taxes are still due and unpaid balances will accrue interest.

Sabree says property owners struggling to pay their taxes can sign up for payment programs on the Wayne County Treasurer’s website. Owner-occupants can pay a down payment and get into a five-year payment agreement that reduces the interest rate on delinquent taxes from 18% to 6%. Low-income owners can apply for the Pay As You Stay program, which allows the taxpayer to become exempt and reduce the amount that they owe from the previous delinquent tax status.