| 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. |