Wayne County property owners are on the hook as the Treasurer's Office plans to restart foreclosures this April, after a pandemic-induced four-year break. The move has sent ripples of concern through communities, with tax delinquencies that could lead to homeownership jeopardy and a shift to rental life for some.

Homeowners with overdue taxes are staring down an April 1 deadline to either settle up, join a payment plan, or file for an extension due to financial hardship, as reported by FOX 2 Detroit. Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree, in a statement obtained by the Detroit Free Press, did not disclose the current figures on properties at risk but pointed to a starting tally of 37,000 parcels, a number that's "working its way down."

Foreclosure interventions over the past year drew on resources like the Michigan Homeowner Assistance Fund (MIHAF), which flushed out $27 million to keep 6,382 taxpayers from foreclosure. Nevertheless, with those funds now gone, and property taxes unpaid for three years, home loss through auctions looms large once again, according to Michigan Chronicle.

The county is zeroing in on properties valued under $35,000, with Sabree's office on a mission to rope those taxpayers into payment plans and check for poverty tax exemption eligibility. This review was pushed forward amidst calls from the Coalition for Property Tax Justice and City Council to halt foreclosures on all owner-occupied homes below $34,700, following an over-assessment claim raised by the University of Chicago study. However, Sabree told the Free Press, that the assessment question "has no bearing" on foreclosure processes.

Residents in jeopardy can turn to several payment plans like the Stipulated Payment Agreement (REGSPA) and Pay As You Stay Payment Agreement (PAYSPA) to navigate the foreclosure wave. For specifics on aid and how to avoid losing homes, the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office provides resources at bit.ly/foreclosurepaymentplans, or through direct contact at 313-224-5990 and [email protected].