Rep. Dell'Aquila Announces Legislation to Protect Homeowners

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Dell’Aquila (D-Seven Hills) announced the filing of legislation (House Bill 134) alongside Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-Akron), requiring county Treasurers’ offices across the state to provide advance notice prior to the date of sale or transfer of tax certificates (liens for unpaid property taxes). Many times, these tax liens are sold to private firms at a discount, whereupon these firms seek to collect the past due taxes or foreclose using the governments’ tax lien priorities.

“As an attorney with several years experience, including in bankruptcy law, I have seen cases in which early intervention by mortgage lenders could have helped property owners who owed back taxes save their homes from tax foreclosure, if only the mortgage lenders had an opportunity to intervene in advance,” said Rep. Dell’Aquila. “Providing this advanced notice will help protect homeowners, secured lenders and other lienholders, and save tax dollars by reducing the number of tax certificates sold to outside firms.”

HB 134 would require all interested parties, including lienholders discoverable through a title search, to be notified in advance of tax certificate sales to not only prepare lenders for the administrative work of such sales, but to also allow all lienholders sufficient time to consider taking action to diminish the total number of tax foreclosures and sheriff sales.