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Advocate urges county to speed tax-foreclosure surplus disbursements to help vulnerable claimants
Summary
Tamara Rucker, founder of Rockwood Recovery, asked the County Council to adopt an internal policy to review and pay tax-foreclosure surplus claims within 30 days after the statutory 90-day waiting period to reduce prolonged delays for elderly and disabled claimants.
Tamara Rucker, founder of Rockwood Recovery and a licensed private investigator, spoke during public comment on June 9 to urge St. Charles County to implement an internal timeline for processing tax-foreclosure surplus claims.
Rucker told council members that many of the claimants her agency serves are elderly, disabled or grieving the loss of a loved one; some only learn they are entitled to surplus proceeds months or years after a foreclosure sale. She noted that if claimants do not file within three years, the surplus funds can revert to the county.
Rucker proposed that once the statutory 90-day waiting period has ended, the county institute an internal target to review and pay surplus claims within 30 days. She said claimants who have completed probate and proven entitlement often face long administrative delays, a lack of meaningful updates, and no clear escalation path. Rucker asked the council to create a firm internal policy to provide structure, accountability and timeliness for disbursements to vulnerable residents.
Council members thanked Rucker for raising the issue; the meeting record shows no immediate action to adopt a timeline, but staff accepted the comment for consideration.
