| This bill is intended to reduce the amount of residential and |
commercial property acquired by municipalities for nonpayment of |
taxes by establishing procedures for the development of payment |
plans both before and after the property is acquired by a |
municipality. Municipalities are required to establish |
procedures for payment plans and to notify persons who are |
delinquent of those procedures and the availability of property |
tax relief programs. The municipality is permitted to set off |
against delinquent taxes amounts owed by the municipality to the |
person who is delinquent. If the person who is delinquent in |
payment of taxes, or in the case of residential property, that |
person's surviving spouse, continues to reside on or occupy the |
property, then the municipality cannot sell the property to a 3rd |
party if the person residing on or occupying the residential or |
commercial property is making a good faith effort to repurchase |
the property. A former owner or the former owner's surviving |
spouse is permitted to buy back the property by payment of |
delinquent taxes, interest and costs at any time before the |
property is sold to a 3rd party. A municipality that sells a |
tax-acquired property is required to pay the funds received in |
excess of delinquent taxes, interest and costs to the former |
owner or the former owner's surviving spouse or heirs. |