Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Foreclosure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oakland County Treasurer tells Southfield residents: reach out before March 31 foreclosure deadline; county lists help and new rights
Summary
Oakland County Treasurer briefed Southfield council on the three‑year tax‑foreclosure timeline, warned that properties owing 2023 and prior taxes face a March 31 deadline, and outlined outreach, taxpayer‑assistance meetings, repayment plans and the July 1 surplus‑claim process created by a 2020 law change (effective 2021).
An Oakland County Treasurer representative told the Southfield City Council on Feb. 9 that March 31 is the judicial foreclosure deadline for property taxes owing 2023 and earlier, and urged homeowners to contact the treasurer’s office to avoid losing property. "So, this year, March 31st is the foreclosure deadline," the treasurer said during a presentation to the council.
The treasurer described the statutory three‑year process that leads to a tax foreclosure: year one is delinquency; the property is forfeited on the second year; and foreclosure occurs in the third year if owners do not pay in full or enter a repayment agreement. The office also noted a judicial foreclosure hearing on Feb. 18 for properties that have not reached repayment agreements.
The presenter emphasized county outreach and assistance options: taxpayer assistance meetings (one‑on‑one sessions with treasurer staff), a Financial Empowerment Center with financial coaches, referrals to Lakeshore Legal Aid, and online resources at the treasurer’s site. The treasurer said the county conducted two property visits, sends multiple mailings and offers repayment plans. Staff contact numbers were provided during the presentation for scheduling assistance.
The treasurer gave county‑level statistics to illustrate scope: Oakland County home to roughly 500,000 parcels; prior reporting year had about 41,498 parcels turned delinquent, about 39,770 ultimately paid in full before the foreclosure deadline, roughly 1,287 taxpayer repayment plans and approximately 172 foreclosures in the prior year (the office said the count was slightly inflated by a single owner of many vacant lots).
The speaker also described a statutory change adopted in 2020 (effective 2021) that allows owners to claim surplus proceeds after foreclosure if the sale generates a surplus; the claim form must be filed by July 1. "So 2020 uh the law was updated in 2020, took effect in 2021," the treasurer said when asked to confirm the change and its effective date.
Programs briefly highlighted included the Smart Finance Academy online webinars, a $5,000 down‑payment grant program for first‑time homebuyers (the presenter said about $290,000 in grants had been distributed in Oakland County since 2024), and an office financial‑coaching program. The treasurer urged residents to call the office if they are struggling and to spread the word to neighbors.
Why it matters: homeowners with missed tax payments face statutory deadlines and financial penalties; the presentation combined a procedural timeline with county resources designed to reduce foreclosures and to guide qualifying owners through surplus claims when foreclosures occur.
Council discussion: council members asked about the surplus‑claim form (form 5743), the history of the legal change, and the right‑of‑first‑refusal practice for local governments; the treasurer explained the county moved auctions online to broaden accessibility and summarized the historical differences between mortgage and tax foreclosures.
The presentation closed with contact and outreach information and an invitation for residents to use county resources if they face tax delinquency.
Attribution: quotes and program details are attributable to the Oakland County Treasurer's presentation to the council on Feb. 9, 2026.
