Michigan mother’s home being foreclosed upon after just one missed property tax payment

[freshwest]

17. Foreclosures for property taxes were forbidden where I lived growing up if the house was a homestead

meaning the residence of the owner. Property taxes would be paid after death of the owner or with the sale of the property. That change was made years after my grandfather died and his home with hundreds of acres was taken by the county where the orphaned minors lived. At one time people went to courthouses looking to see notices of impending seizures. But not if on declared homesteads.

The story has a mention of banks, and unless she had a home improvement loan, which can put a mortgage on a home and end up taking it, their mailing notices to banks she did not do business with sounds like they are looking for a buyer. This doesn't sound like an error of paperwork and 'holding the letter of the law' in this case is not reasonable.

The city's fiscial interest is obvious from the link and unjust. They fully intend to take a home worth $164,000 for $2,000, and keep the $162,000 difference as a profit to the city.

When I was in a similar situation, in my paid off, debt free home and was struggling to make that annual tax payment, the city I lived in then took payments. I was thrilled the year that I was able to pay it all in one payment. after years of only being able to make payments monthly. But that was 40 years ago.

There needs to be a huge outcry about this, the tax is not meant to be fine for a crime committed.