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Oakland County treasurer's office briefs Holly on foreclosure process, outreach and local data
Summary
Robert Wittenberg of the Oakland County treasurer's office told Holly leaders that foreclosure is a three-year process, outlined county assistance including repayment plans and a $5,000 first-time homebuyer grant, and urged residents to contact the treasurer's office before the March 31 foreclosure deadline.
Robert Wittenberg, a representative of the Oakland County treasurer's office, told the Holly Village Council that tax foreclosure follows a three-year statutory cycle and that March 31 is the annual cutoff for properties with unpaid taxes from three years prior.
Wittenberg said the county's objective is to collect taxes, not to foreclose, and described a suite of outreach and assistance tools: statutorily required notifications, direct taxpayer-assistance meetings, repayment plans and county-run financial coaching. "Our goal and our job in our office is to collect taxes, not, foreclose," he said.
He reviewed county data showing hundreds of parcels move through the delinquency and forfeiture stages each year and emphasized that most foreclosures involve vacant land rather than occupied homes. For Holly specifically, Wittenberg said earlier-cycle delinquent figures rose slightly but the number of foreclosed parcels in recent years had been low.
Wittenberg also described the claim process that allows former owners to recover surplus proceeds after a foreclosure sale and noted that the county has contracted an online auction service (tax-sale.info) to administer sales. He said local governments may exercise a right of first refusal but that state-law changes now require paying twice the state equalized value in many cases.
The treasurer's office highlighted additional resources: a financial empowerment center, monthly Smart Finance webinars, and a $5,000 down-payment assistance grant for eligible first-time homebuyers. Wittenberg urged residents who owe taxes for 2023 or earlier to contact the treasurer's office before March 31 to pursue repayment agreements or other help; he provided the office number and oakgov.com/treasurer as contact points.
Council members asked about auctions, property maintenance obligations for buyers and an expedited two-year foreclosure pathway for truly abandoned parcels; Wittenberg said the county can remove properties from an auction if new relevant information surfaces and confirmed the expedited path applies only to abandoned properties identified early in the process. The council thanked Wittenberg and encouraged residents to use county resources.
Next procedural steps: no council action was required; residents were directed to the treasurer's office for individual assistance.
