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Lake County hires Bair Law to address tax‑foreclosure backlog
Summary
The board approved a contract with Bair Law, LLC, to handle a backlog of tax‑foreclosure work; the Assessor’s Office will use existing budget funds to pay the contracted attorney, and commissioners said the arrangement should speed processing and recover owed taxes.
The Lake County Board of Commissioners on April 9 approved a contract with Bair Law, LLC, to clear a backlog of tax‑foreclosure cases. Assessor Linda Hopper presented the proposed agreement, saying the firm would relieve County Counsel of foreclosure work that has accumulated over multiple years.
Commissioner James Williams said the backlog was substantial and that contracting outside counsel would allow the Assessor’s Office to move cases forward; he moved to approve the contract and the board approved the motion unanimously. Commissioners noted the hourly rate is high but said the Assessor has budgeted funds to cover the expense and that recovering owed taxes could offset fees.
Vice‑Chair Barry Shullanberger asked whether a cap on fees was included to keep costs within budget; Williams said a cap was in place and that funding would come from foreclosure proceeds where available. Commissioners discussed whether the county must pay property owners if auction proceeds exceed owed taxes but concluded the county’s primary objective was to recover delinquent taxes and resolve long‑standing cases.
