Guest Editorial … Wayne County Treasurer halts home foreclosures

By Eric Sabree
Wayne County Treasurer
Recently, I successfully petitioned the 3rd Circuit Court to stop foreclosures of owner-occupied residential properties in 2023. The motion filed with the court requesting that the redemption period be extended to March 31, 2024, was granted Thursday by Honorable 3rd Circuit Court Chief Judge Patricia Fresard.
Our number one priority remains keeping people in their homes, and we want to give Wayne County property taxpayers- many of whom are still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 virus – additional time to apply for funding that can assist them with holding on to their property.
Approximately3,400 owner-occupied residential properties could have faced foreclosure without the order, the treasurer’s office indicated Friday.
Only owner-occupied homes with principal residency exemption will qualify to be withheld. All homeowners must still make property tax payments, Sabree noted.
A state program, The Michigan Homeowners Assistance Fund (MIHAF), provides American Rescue Fund dollars to help Michiganders pay back taxes and for other needs. To date, more than $13 million has gone to assist5,500 Wayne County residents pay back property taxes.
We continue to strongly urge Wayne County residents to apply because MIHAF can provide significant help to residents who were impacted by COVID-19.
To qualify for MIHAF, applicants must have experienced a qualified financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic after January 21, 2020, or had a qualified hardship that began before January 21, 2020, and continued after that date.
They also must meet income eligibility requirements, and the property must be owner-occupied. The maximum amount of assistance available through MIHAF per household is $25,000.
The Wayne County Treasurer’s Office has payment plan options to help residents stay in their homes.

For more information, go to treasurer.waynecounty.com or contact the office by email at taxinfo@waynecounty.com, or call (313) 224-5990.
Posted May 5, 2023