>> ALL RIGHT.
LASTLY, FINALLY THIS MORNING
BEFORE WE GO.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A PROBLEM
THAT’S GOING TO SURFACE FOR A
LOT OF PEOPLE WHO MAYBE HAVE
GOTTEN USED TO THE FACT THAT
FORECLOSURES WERE NOT HAPPENING
THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
THAT POLICY IS CHANGING.
LET’ TALK ABOUT WAYNE COUNTY
TREASURER, ERIC, GOOD TO HAVE
YOU ON THE PROGRAM AT AN
IMPORTANT TIME.
BEFORE WE GET TO THE DEADLINES
COMING UP.
LET’S TALK ABOUT POLICY.
IS IT RIGHT THAT WE’RE GOING
BACK TO FORECLOSURES NOW AFTER
WE HAD A YEAR OR SO WHERE THEY
WEREN’T HAPPENING?
>> WELL, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE NO
FORECLOSURES ON PROPERTIES IN
2021 AND NO FORECLOSURES AT ALL
IN 2020.
BUT YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF
PROGRAMS AVAILABLE NOW.
THERE’S MONEY THAT’S COME FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH
THE STATE THAT’S ALLOWING US TO
HELP TAXPAYERS MORE THAN EVER
BEFORE AND WE JUST WANT PEOPLE
TO APPLY FOR THESE FUNDS TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT
WE HAVE.
AND WE JUST HAVE--
WE HAVE SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
CHRONICALLY DELINQUENT.
WHAT I MEAN IS THAT THEY HAVE
MULTIPLE YEARS OF DELINQUENCY
AND DEFAULTED ON SEVERAL PAYMENT
AGREEMENTS WITH US.
BUT THERE’S STILL A LIFELINE FOR
THEM.
IF YOU APPLY FOR THE MICHIGAN
HOME OWNER ASSISTANCE FUND,
THAT’S AVAILABLE TO TAXPAYERS
BEHIND ON THEIR MORTGAGES, TAXES
AND UTILITIES, THEY CAN STILL
GET A YEAR EXTENSION.
SO WE’RE ENCOURAGING EVERYONE
THAT’S BEHIND OWNER OCCUPIED
PROPERTIES TO APPLY FOR THE
MICHIGAN HOME OWNER ASSISTANCE
FUND.
DIAL 211 AND YOU CAN REACH
SOMEONE TO HELP AND WE’LL EXTEND
THAT PERSON FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
WE’RE JUST MAKING IT IMPORTANT
THAT SOMEONE MAKES THE EFFORT,
WE’RE MAKING ALL OF THESE
PROGRAMS AVAILABLE, BUT SOMEONE
HAS TO MAKE AN EFFORT AND NOT
AUTOMATICALLY OUT OF
FORECLOSURE.
>> WE’RE TALKING ABOUT 6,000
OWNER OCCUPIED AND OTHERS RENTAL
UNITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU HAVE THE MATTER ESPECIALLY
IN THE CITY OF DETROIT, YOU’RE
WELL AWARE, WE’VE GOT SO MANY
PEOPLE UPSET BELIEVING THEY HAVE
BEEN OVERASSESSED AND OVERTAXED
FOR YEARS.
AND FIGHTING THAT ON ONE FRONT
IS KIND OF SEPARATE FROM WHAT
YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS
BEING ON RECORD AS KIND OF
PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN, RIGHT?
>> YES, WE RECEIVED THE TAXES
THAT ARE NOT PAID THE FIRST YEAR
FROM THE CITIES.
AND IT’S OUR JOB TO COLLECT THE
DELINQUENT TAXES AND OUR NUMBERS
ARE GOING DOWN AND WE STILL HAVE
ABOUT 4,000 OWNER OCCUPIED
PROPERTIES THAT ARE SCHEDULED
FOR FORECLOSURE AND 7,000 OF THE
RENTER OCCUPIED PROPERTIES.
AND I EXPECT THAT NUMBER TO
CONTINUE TO DROP.
WE HAVE, IF SOMEONE APPLIES,
LIKE I SAID FOR THE MICHIGAN
HOME OWNERS ASSISTANCE FUND THEN
THEY’LL AUTOMATICALLY GET
ANOTHER YEAR, EXTENSION FOR
ANOTHER YEAR.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY THE
IMPORTANT THING IS JUST HAVING
PEOPLE MAKE THE CALL BECAUSE A
LOT OF PEOPLE GET INTIMIDATED BY
WHAT THEY KNOW THEY OWE.
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY CAN’T PAY IT
AND ONLY PUTTING THEMSELVES
FURTHER BEHIND, RIGHT?
>> THAT’S TRUE.
WE ALSO HAVE A HARDSHIP POLICY
IN THE OFFICE AND WE ENCOURAGE
PEOPLE TO LET THEM KNOW THE
SITUATION.
IF THEY COMMUNICATE WITH US,
THEY GET SICK, THEY HAVE A DEATH
IN THE FAMILY, THEY LOST THEIR
JOB, WE HAVE A POLICY, A STATUTE
ALLOWS US TO GIVE EXTENSIONS FOR
ANOTHER YEAR.
BUT THEY HAVE TO REACH OUT FOR
US AND LET US KNOW.
>> YOU’RE EXPECTING PEOPLE WITH
A LOT OF HARDSHIPS DUE TO COVID
AND OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, 30
SECONDS LEFT.
THAT’S AN INGREDIENT TO TAKE
INTO ACCOUNT, TOO, RIGHT?
>> RIGHT.
WE UNDERSTAND IT AND WE HAVE
BEEN TALKING TO TAXPAYERS AND WE
WANT THEM TO REACH OUT TO US AND
SEND US INFO AND GO TO OUR
WEBSITE,
TREASURER.WAYNECOUNTY.COM AND
WE’LL HAVE SATURDAY HOURS IN
MARCH AND EXPANDING FOR
APPOINTMENTS, MORE ARE OPENING
UP AND WE’LL EXPECT THAT