Warren County reviews foreclosure process for about 200 delinquent parcels; attorneys warn bankruptcy complicates recovery
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Summary
County staff told supervisors a list of roughly 200 tax-delinquent parcels was circulated to town supervisors; county attorneys described options including severance to give short grace periods but said bankruptcy filings can block foreclosure.
County staff told the Environmental Concerns and Real Property Tax Services Committee that they circulated a list of roughly 200 parcels still in the tax-foreclosure process and asked town supervisors to review the list and, if possible, contact owners.
“This list was forwarded out to you all in the June,” a county staff member said, noting Kristen McEwen sent the email to town supervisors. The staff member said the parcels remain in the foreclosure process and owners have until July to redeem their taxes. “There’s pretty close still to about 200 parcels,” the staff member said.
Committee members asked what happens after July. County Attorney Briggs explained the legal timeline: after the last day to redeem, the county may move for a judgment to foreclose. Briggs said people can sometimes pay after petitioning the court. “Most often if they get in front of the judge and and they have the money, the judge will just say take their money,” Briggs said. He and Attorney Allman discussed using a severance process to separate some parcels from the initial wave of judgments so owners who communicate valid short-term needs could be given a brief grace period; such a severance would not remove the parcel from foreclosure.
Briggs cautioned that long-running arrears are often complicated by repeated bankruptcy filings. “It’s difficult because bankruptcy court is a federal court, so they will hold supremacy over any type of tax foreclosure action,” he said, adding that levies and other approaches can be attempted but bankruptcy can block or delay collection.
Committee members did not take a formal vote at the meeting. The actions discussed were procedural: staff asked supervisors to review the circulated list and staff said they are compiling phone numbers to contact owners; Briggs and county attorneys described legal steps the county plans to pursue if parcels are not redeemed.
Next steps: town supervisors were asked to review the list of delinquent parcels and county staff will continue outreach; the county attorneys said the office will move forward with foreclosure judgments where appropriate once redemption periods expire.