Auburn staff outline new state rules for tax-acquired property and propose vacant-building permit and registry

Auburn City staff presented the council a plan Thursday to update the city's tax-acquired property policy to comply with a new state law (referred to in the meeting as "LD 101") and introduced draft language for a privately owned vacant-building registry and permit.

The updates, presented by Finance staffer Kelsey Earl and city staffers handling property disposition and code enforcement, would require the city to produce an itemized accounting of all costs tied to any tax-acquired parcel, record that accounting at the registry of deeds, obtain an appraisal before retaining property for municipal use, and use a broker for up to 12 months to attempt sale of properties not retained for municipal purposes.

Why it matters: The new statutory steps change how long and how the city documents tax defaults, foreclosures and post-foreclosure disposition. Staff said the requirements add administrative work—appraisals, itemized cost filings and broker retention—but are intended to protect former owners and ensure sales are conducted in line with state law.

Earl summarized the statutory timeline that leads to city-held tax-acquired parcels: tax bills are mailed in August, halves due in September and March; after the March installment a courtesy notice may be sent, then a 30-day statutory notice in May; if unpaid a lien is filed (statutory window); owners then have 18 months after the…