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Greenburgh board reviews forensic report, schedules auctions and asks staff to study tax‑lien sales
Summary
After the town's forensic report, officials said they will hire auction services to recover long‑delinquent tax liens and asked the town attorney and controller to study whether selling tax liens to third parties would speed recovery and what legal or financial tradeoffs that would entail.
Lawmaker (speaker 9) told the Greenburgh Town Board that legal staff are preparing to move forward with foreclosure auctions to recover years of unpaid property taxes and that the first auction would target very old liens.
The town attorney said, "That 1st auction will be for the 2013 tax liens," and added that the town has chosen a bidder from a recent RFP and may run two additional auctions this year if scheduling with the Westchester Supreme Court allows. The attorney also outlined a communication plan: staff are compiling a spreadsheet of interested parties and will notify potential bidders and village officials when properties in their areas come up for auction.
Board members said they want staff to continue the auctions while also researching alternatives. "I think it's worth reviewing" whether tax‑lien sales are viable, one lawmaker (speaker 1) said, urging the town attorney, controller and special counsel to prepare a recommendation on the pros and cons and whether state authorization would be needed. Several members asked for specific financial details, such as typical discount rates a buyer would demand, before deciding whether to proceed with lien sales in parallel with auctions.
Why it matters: The forensic report identified systemic collection weaknesses and a backlog of delinquent taxes that the town said it intends to address quickly to stabilize finances. Officials said the auction approach aims to recover resources and to make long‑term collection processes more reliable.
What happens next: The board expects a resolution to hire the auctioneer at an upcoming meeting (dates discussed for Feb. 11 or Feb. 25) and directed the town attorney and controller to report back with research on the financial tradeoffs, necessary legal steps (including potential state authorization), and any recommended safeguards for residents who may be affected.
The board also asked legal to keep a notification list and to circulate auction details (opening bids, property type and location) to interested residents and villages ahead of any sale.
