Commission denies waiver of long-standing county lien after resident appeal

A Lawrence County resident asked the commission to waive or reduce a long-standing county lien totaling $19,699.41 that dates to 1987. The resident described ongoing small payments and multiple health and financial hardships and asked the county to cancel or reduce the lien so she and her family could remain in the home.

The resident told commissioners she had been making small monthly payments over many years and that her income is limited by Medicare, Social Security and medical expenses. “I’ve been paying on this since 1987,” she told the board, describing health problems and limited ability to do repairs. County staff explained that under SDCL the commission has statutory authority to compromise or release liens, but noted county practice historically has been to deny waiver requests while allowing voluntary payments without interest. Commissioners, after discussion about protecting taxpayer funds and confirming there had been no interest or collections activity on the account, moved to deny the waiver request. The board stressed it was not forcing a sale; staff said the lien would be satisfied by the title company if the property were sold in the future.

Commissioners encouraged the resident to continue payments as she is able and asked staff to provide follow-up information. The motion to deny the waiver passed on the record at the meeting.