Officials upset that Michigan county sold retiree’s home over $8.41 in unpaid taxes
A county treasurer in Michigan is under fire, six years after the county foreclosed on a retiree’s house because the man didn’t pay $8.41 in property taxes — an action the state’s Supreme Court recently deemed unconstitutional, according to The Detroit News.
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners demanded that Andrew Meisner, the Oakland County treasurer, answer their questions in an angry letter following the court’s decision earlier this month, FOX News reported.
“It appears your actions as treasurer to foreclose on an Oakland County retiree’s property for $8.41 has exposed the county to serious risk,” the letter signed by board Chairman David Woodward and commissioners Mike Gingell and Helen Zack said, according to the Detroit News.
Meisner denied any wrongdoing and told the Detroit News he “wasn’t surprised” by the letter, dated July 21.
“It was signed by people who support my opponent (in the August primary),” Meisner said, according to the Detroit News. “It’s the silly season and any investigation is not much more than a political witch hunt.”
Uri Rafaeli, a retired Southfield resident, owed $8.41 in unpaid property taxes from 2011 on his 1,500-square-foot home. The unpaid taxes had increased to $285.81 to include interest, penalties and fees, court documents from Rafaeli, LLC v. Oakland County show. Meisner foreclosed on the property in 2014 and the county sold it at public auction for $24,500 later that year.
The county kept all the money “in excess of the taxes, interest, penalties and fees,” according to the court’s ruling.
The court ruled that because the county retained the surplus from a decidedly unconstitutional taking, where just compensation was denied to the property owner, the treasurer’s — and therefore the county’s actions — were unlawful, court documents say.
The county commissioners decided to form a special committee on foreclosure practices and policies “to minimize the impact of last week’s Michigan Supreme Court decision on tax foreclosure auctions on taxpayers,” a news release from Oakland County said.
““The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled the Treasurer’s actions are unconstitutional and it is paramount that we shield taxpayers as much as possible from what could be substantial consequences of this ruling,” Oakland County Executive David Coulter said in the release. “I support the Board of Commissioners forming this special committee to conduct a review of all tax foreclosure policies and procedures in the treasurer’s office, including oversight of the county’s delinquent tax revolving fund.”
