Resident says heirs missed refund from tax-sale surplus funds; council says it will review submitted documents

Johnny Sizer used the public-comment period to raise a dispute over surplus funds from a tax sale involving property owned by his late mother, Rosetta Lightfoot Sizer.

Sizer said he and his sister were owed more than $16,000 each (a total he later cited as $34,000) from surplus funds after a tax sale. He told council the funds were held at the John Marshall Court offices for two years and that he and his sister—listed as heirs in court records—were not notified. Sizer said he raised the matter previously in 2020 with then-representative Kim Gray and that his inquiries were ‘‘stonewalled.’’

Sizer asked council to make the issue public and seek advocates for resolution. He told the council the situation felt ‘‘not ethical’’ and ‘‘painful’’ given their bereavement and his mother’s difficult life.

Council response: After Sizer finished speaking, the clerk and council acknowledged receipt of documents. The council said it would review the paperwork. A council member also referenced that a policy team associated with Councilmember Gibson had been looking into an ordinance on the topic, although the meeting record did not show a formal referral or an ordinance vote at this meeting.

Why it matters: Surplus funds from tax sales are intended for entitled heirs; claimants told council they were not notified and that the funds were not distributed as expected. The matter could prompt administrative or ordinance-level changes to notice and distribution procedures.

What was not specified: The meeting record does not include a formal finding, interdepartmental investigation result, or a final administrative remedy. The exact mechanism by which heirs are notified under current city/court procedures was not described at the meeting.