More delinquent owners coming in to pay

The sudden snowstorm that shut down area schools took its toll on Monday’s tax lien sale. Only nine liens were sold at the courthouse auction bringing in $27,666.25.

However that was added to the $408,455.52 already collected after owners of parcels in this sale came in earlier to get caught up on their tax bills.

“The weather kept a lot of folks away,” County Treasurer Stephen Burcham said.

Yet despite the small turnout, the county is getting closer to reaping $2 million in back taxes from the three lien sales held this year.

Originally there were 339 parcels with a total of $877,195 in delinquent taxes that were to go on the auction block Monday. But in the days before the sale 151 property owners came in to take care of their tax bills.

“Instead of the liens being tremendously large amounts like $15 or $20,000, they are getting down to $2 or $3,000,” Burcham said. “People who are $3, 4, or 5,000 (delinquent) are coming in and setting up on contract or paying (in full). Unfortunately it has been a difficult economy. We still want to encourage people to come in and establish a payment contract.”

This sale Tax Ease Inc., a finance company with an office in Cincinnati, bought liens on seven parcels and an individual from South Point purchased two liens.

This was the first year for the county to institute the tax lien sale where bidders were vying to be the first tax lien holders on parcels. About two years ago, the Ohio legislature extended the provision of the law that regulates tax lien sales to all 88 counties. Previously only the 12 largest counties in the state could hold such sales.

The first sale in August brought in $91,000 from bidders; the second increased that figure almost 10 times bringing in $895,565 between lien buyers and owners paying up taxes.

“Two different companies have offered a proposal for a negotiated sale for those that did not sell in the first three sales, the remaining parcels that have not been sold or redeemed,” Burcham said. “They have indicated I should have that proposal within a month.”

Those companies are Tax Ease and a firm Burcham said was in the stage of formation by local individuals.

The next sale will be in April between the first and second tax collections.

Tax bills are expected to go out next month and will be due the last Friday in February.

“We are awaiting the state tax department’s approval of the tax rate,” the treasurer said.