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Ashland County zoning committee pauses foreclosures pending ordinance approval
Summary
Committee members discussed updates to a proposed tax-deed ordinance, agreed to delay foreclosures until the ordinance goes to the county board on March 28, and outlined a timeline for listing properties if the board approves the change.
At a recent Ashland County Zoning Committee meeting, members discussed a proposed ordinance to update the county’s tax-deed procedures and agreed to delay foreclosure actions until the full County Board reviews the ordinance.
Committee members said the ordinance change is intended to conform county procedure to a new state statutory framework adopted after the Tyler v. Hennepin County decision; the committee discussed sending the ordinance to the County Board for action on March 28. Committee members said, if the board approves the ordinance on March 28, the committee would be prepared to bring a list of tax-deed properties to a zoning meeting in April so sales or listings could proceed in spring as previously discussed.
Committee members described the current tax-deed list as an update on payment plans and related activity; they emphasized the county continues to accept payments and negotiate plans up to the published foreclosure date. A county official said staff prefer to work with property owners through the statutory process rather than move to immediate sale when possible.
Participants also raised questions about the phrase in the draft ordinance giving the treasurer “power to acquire.” Committee members asked staff to clarify whether that language changes the committee’s oversight role; staff said, under state law, the treasurer or the treasurer’s appointee initiates tax-deed procedures, while the zoning committee provides oversight and approval of final tax-deed actions.
Speakers discussed subsidiary issues that affect county exposure: when municipalities place unpaid utility charges or special assessments on tax bills, the county must make those taxing bodies whole at settlement and then recoup amounts later from the property. Committee members noted unpaid assessments and water charges increase the county’s interim outlay and can change the economics of a tax-deed sale.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the tax-deed ordinance at this meeting. Members agreed to return the item to the zoning committee agenda for additional clarification of chapter titles and numbering, then send it to the County Board on March 28 for final action.
