Tax Lien Sale
Ohio law allows the Portage County Treasurer to collect delinquent property taxes by selling tax lien certificates in exchange for payment of the entire delinquency. After a sale, the Treasurer’s liens are transferred to the purchaser, who is then entitled to recover the purchase price and any accruing interest from the taxpayer.
All Portage County properties with delinquent taxes are eligible to be sold at a tax lien certificate sale, provided they are not already set for a sheriff sale, in foreclosure or bankruptcy, under an existing contract for payment, tax exempt, or have a tax exemption application pending.
Taxpayers will receive multiple notices that a tax lien sale is possible, including three to four tax bills with unpaid balances, newspaper publication, and a warning letter from our office. If a taxpayer fails to respond to these notices by either establishing a payment plan or paying outstanding balances in full, a final letter will be sent via certified mail informing the taxpayer that the liens on the property will be put up for sale.
Liens are offered to our contractual buyer for purchase. If the buyer elects to purchase the lien, the taxpayer will receive a letter informing them that payments on that lien, plus accrued interest and additional fees, must be paid directly to the buyer. If the contractual buyer declines the sale, the Portage County Treasurer retains the right to seek another buyer for the lien.
Portage County currently contracts with FIG Taxes (“FIG”) to as our exclusive buyer of tax liens. If you are the owner of a property where a tax lien has been sold to FIG, please contact them directly for additional lien servicing information. You can find their contact information here.
If you are the owner of a property where a tax lien has been sold to our previous lien purchaser, TaxEase Ohio LLC, please contact them directly by calling their Call Center, 9:00am – 5:30pm EST, Monday – Friday, at 1-866-907-2626.
Extended periods of unpaid liens may lead to foreclosure, and the loss of the property.
Important Reminders for Taxpayers
To avoid a tax lien sale, you must pay your delinquent taxes in full by guaranteed funds (e.g. cash, money order, or certified check) or enter into a payment plan.
If your tax lien is sold, you will be required to pay more. Fees and additional interest (up to 15%) will be added to your bill. The taxpayer also remains responsible for paying current taxes to the Portage County Treasurer. Subsequent failure to pay may lead to additional lien sales, at 18% interest.
Even if the Treasurer’s Office sells a tax lien on your property to a third party, it is important to remember that your home is still your home. The buyer has simply purchased the right to collect your unpaid taxes and any subsequent fees, not your home itself.
That said, a buyer will have the right to foreclose on the property beginning 12 months after the date of sale. The buyer may also wait until the end of the certificate period, allowing additional accrued interest to be added to the foreclosure amount. Once foreclosure has been requested, additional fees and costs may be added to the redemption amount of the lien.
For information on establishing a payment plan, please click here or call 330-297-2243.
For more on the tax lien foreclosure process, click here.