Wayne County treasurer outlines options to avoid tax foreclosure ahead of March deadline

Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabri and Commissioner Sam Beydoun urged homeowners and business owners to contact the treasurer’s office about delinquent property taxes and foreclosure risks, and laid out payment-plan and hardship options available before an upcoming March deadline.

Sabri, who has led the Wayne County Treasury for five years, said taxes billed by local municipalities that are unpaid by March 1 become delinquent and enter a multi‑year process that can lead to forfeiture and then foreclosure. "Forfeited doesn't mean you're gonna lose your property," Sabri said, explaining the county places a lien and adds forfeiture fees and higher interest in the second year of delinquency.

Why this matters: Delinquent taxes can trigger liens that block refinancing or sale, increase interest and fees, and — if not addressed over the statutory timeline — lead to foreclosure. Sabri described options the treasurer’s office uses to keep owners in their homes or businesses, including payment agreements, hardship withdrawals under state law, nonprofit referrals and a recently amended hardship policy for small landlords and business owners.

Key deadlines and the delinquency timeline - Sabri said each municipality issues taxes (typically a summer/current bill and a winter bill). If not paid by March 1, the bills become delinquent; because of calendar timing discussed in the forum, Sabri noted the county’s statutory rules mean some deadlines can effectively shift by a day in a given year. "The statute says... it won't be delinquent until March 2 this year," he said. - Sabri described three years of the process: first-year delinquency, second-year forfeiture (county places…