As the March 31 tax foreclosure deadline approaches, Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner is appealing to families and businesses with delinquent property taxes to engage the Treasurer’s Office immediately and explore options to prevent foreclosure.
“My primary goal is to help strengthen Oakland County’s neighborhoods, tax base and economy, which starts with keeping families in their homes and functioning businesses open and operating.” Meisner said.
“We have options for well-meaning owners to save their property, but we can’t do it alone.”
County treasurers are responsible for collection of delinquent property taxes, and Meisner’s office offers many options for taxpayers to pay what they owe and keep their property, including over 14,000 monthly payment plans. The office also uses many different methods to reach taxpayers to make sure they know about their bills and act to save their property, including home visits made personally by the treasurer.
“It’s only fair that taxpayers owing delinquent property taxes pay their share so that burden isn’t shifted onto the backs of the 97% of taxpayers who pay their bills on time.” Meisner said. “Fortunately, help is available to assist taxpayers who have fallen on hard times to do just that but the window for assistance closes after this critical March 31 deadline.”
Options available to property owners include:
• Taxpayer Assistance Meetings (TAM’s)—TAM’s are face-to-face meetings with Treasurer’s staff to review circumstances and negotiate payment plans. Scheduled by calling the Treasurer’s Office at 248-858-0624, this technique alone has facilitated the payment of over $75 million in delinquent property taxes since 2012. Taxpayers can utilize automatic withdrawal for their monthly payment plan obligations.
• “Walk in Wednesdays”—Time is set aside each Wednesday leading up to the March 31 deadline for taxpayers to participate in Taxpayer Assistance Meetings without an appointment. The Treasurer’s Office is located at 1200 N. Telegraph Rd. in Pontiac. Starting March 1st, walk in meetings will be taken Monday through Friday.
• Step Forward—While the window is closing to take advantage of this federal program, qualified residents are encouraged to explore the Step Forward Michigan Loan Rescue Program, which provides up to $30,000 to resolve delinquent property taxes, interest and fees for eligible families. The program has been particularly impactful in Oakland County, yielding over $9 million in taxpayer assistance.
• DHS Property Tax Assistance—Available to income-eligible citizens, the State of Michigan’s Department of Human Services State Emergency Relief Fund can pay the final $2,000 of a tax bill to avoid foreclosure.
• Additional Resources—The Treasurer’s Office constantly looks for opportunities to connect citizens with free resources. This includes the Oakland County Financial Empowerment Center, staffed by JVS of Southfield, as well as the Accounting Aid Society, which accepts meetings with taxpayers every Saturday at the Treasurer’s Office. Both programs promote financial literacy and counseling on housing and other
financial matters.
Additionally, taxpayers should be aware of the March 1 deadline to obtain a “hardship exemption” from current year property taxes. Each local unit of government is responsible for awarding the exemption as well as determining the amount to be waived. Citizens experiencing hardship are urged to contact their local treasurer for more information.
Taxpayers with delinquent taxes should contact the County Treasurer’s Office immediately by calling 248-858-0611, visiting the office or going online to www.oakgov.com/treasurer.
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