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Oakland County treasurer urges residents to seek help before March 31 tax-foreclosure deadline
Summary
Oakland County Treasurer Robert told the Southfield City Council on March 17 that March 31 is the statutory deadline for foreclosing on tax years three years old or older and urged residents owing 2022 and earlier taxes to contact the county for repayment options and assistance.
Oakland County Treasurer Robert told the Southfield City Council on March 17 that March 31 is the foreclosure deadline for taxes three years and older and urged residents who owe 2022 and prior tax years to contact the treasurer’s office for repayment plans or other assistance.
Robert said the county’s tax-foreclosure process runs on a three-year cycle: year one is delinquency, year two is forfeiture and year three is foreclosure. He described taxpayer assistance meetings, repayment agreements and outreach the treasurer’s office uses to avoid sales, and noted that county law now allows some former owners to claim surplus proceeds if a foreclosed property sells for more than taxes, interest and fees.
Why it matters: foreclosure sales permanently transfer title under state procedure and — unlike many mortgage foreclosures — Michigan law provides no redemption period after the third year. The treasurer emphasized that prevention depends on people contacting the office before the March 31 deadline.
Key details from the presentation: - Deadline: March 31 is the foreclosure deadline for any tax year three years old or older; in 2025 that means taxes for 2022 and earlier are subject to foreclosure. - County scale: Treasurer cited 41,465 parcels turned over as delinquent across Oakland County in a recent cycle and said about 39,000 taxpayers paid in full or entered repayment arrangements; he said the county sold far fewer parcels at auction (131 foreclosures cited for a recent year) than were turned over delinquent. - Local figures: the treasurer reviewed Southfield-specific data for earlier cycles (the treasurer read figures for 2020 and 2021 tax cycles and said Southfield’s recent foreclosure counts were low compared with past years). - Claim form: the treasurer said the law was changed in recent years so that after a foreclosure sale anyone with a recognized interest may submit a claim form (the treasurer said the county proactively sends the form) and judges then decide entitlement to surplus proceeds; the deadline to file the claim form was given as July 1 following foreclosure. - Assistance and limits: the treasurer said the office can offer repayment agreements and help residents find grants or counseling, but it cannot reduce the principal tax, interest or statutory fees.
Resources and referrals cited by the treasurer: - Oakland County Treasurer’s general number: (248) 858-0611 (for information and appointments) - Financial Empowerment Center (budgeting and coaching): (248) 858-0672 - Treasurer’s web page: oakgov.com/treasurer - Michigan Homeowners Assistance Fund (myHAP) — a MSHDA program funded with federal COVID-era dollars that previously provided up to $25,000 per household for qualified households; the treasurer said that program’s funds are exhausted. - Lakeshore Legal Aid (free legal help for low-income residents and seniors; excludes criminal matters): 1-888-783-8190, lakeshorelegalaid.org
What the treasurer said about outreach: “We are not trying to foreclose on people,” Robert told the council, saying his office visits properties, posts notices and sends multiple statutorily required mailings to inform owners. He said the treasurer’s office is producing short informational videos explaining the tax timeline and options.
Council discussion and questions: Council members thanked the treasurer for outreach and asked about the timeline and past programs. Councilman Brightwell asked for clarification about surplus proceeds and the judicial claim process; the treasurer replied that multiple claimants must submit forms and the judge allocates any surplus. The mayor and other council members asked whether federal relief programs remain available; the treasurer said the Step Forward program had been exhausted earlier and that myHAP funds had been spent by late 2023 or early 2024.
Takeaway: the treasurer emphasized that homeowners or anyone aware of residents owing 2022 and earlier taxes should contact the treasurer’s office immediately to request a taxpayer assistance meeting or learn about potential exemptions or third-party resources. After March 31 the county’s foreclosure process advances and options narrow under state statute.
