Michigan county seizes home after one missed tax bill; makes $80K profit

[Lucille]

The greedy county refused to let her pay the back taxes. They wanted moar.

Claire Wolfe asked how immoral it would be to buy a tax sale property. I couldn't live in it, or with myself.

I’ve never paid attention to such things before, considering any form of tax sale or asset-forfeiture sale to be out of moral bounds.

http://www.theburningplatform.com/20...es-80k-profit/

RICHLAND, MI — A disabled mother and her children were tossed from their home by the government after missing one property tax bill, despite owning the home free-and-clear.

Deborah Calley, a mother of two daughters, paid $164,000 cash for her dream home in 2010. The home was chosen because of convenient location and accessibility; a perfect location for her as she slowly recovers from debilitating injuries following a car accident a few years ago.

The family’s dream home became a nightmare when the Kalamazoo County government declared it to be foreclosed earlier in 2014, leaving the Calleys homeless. Local bureaucrats alleged that three years ago, Ms. Calley did not pay for the privilege to live in the county, a so-called “property tax.” Thus, the government stripped Calley of her home and property.

Ms. Calley is devastated, and claims that she had no idea about the missed property tax bill from 2011, and that she received no warning of the impending property seizure.

“When I paid the taxes in 2012 right there in Richland, no one said, ‘Oh, well you still owe money for 2011,’” said Ms. Calley to WITI. “So, I didn’t really have a clue. I thought I was right on time.”

The disabled mother is in disbelief that the government could take away property that she owned outright because of a tax bill totaling less than $2,000.
[...]
My life has been turned upside down because of this,” Ms. Calley sobbed. “I had to send my youngest daughter, who’s still in school, to live with her father so she can have a home, because I don’t know if I have a home anymore.”

Ms. Calley offered to pay back-taxes to settle the bill that the county alleges that she owes, but the profiteers of the seizure claim that it is now too late. Adding to the family’s grief is the fact that the foreclosed house has already been auctioned, with the highest bid totaling over $80,000. Barring judicial intervention, the county will keep the proceeds of the auction and the Calley family will get nothing.

The plight of the Calley family serves as a grim reminder of the fragility of property rights in America, and the true nature of property taxation. When citizens are obligated to pay perpetual sums of money to avoid the seizure of their rightly-owned property, they can never consider themselves anything greater than tenants on land controlled by the government.

[jkr]

GET
A
ROPE!

[phill4paul]

The government should never be allowed to seize property like this. If I, as a contractor, am owed money by a homeowner I can file a lien on a property. I cannot seize it. And government should not be allowed to do what individual citizens cannot.
There should be no perpetual property taxes to begin with. Ever.

[Lucille]

My Kiwi friend was appalled when I told him that, here in the land of the free, the banks or the state can seize the whole property and keep all the proceeds from the sale. Evidently in NZ they can take the house and sell it, but can only keep whatever was owed and the rest goes back to the former owner.

[fisharmor]

The government should never be allowed to seize property like this. If I, as a contractor, am owed money by a homeowner I can file a lien on a property. I cannot seize it. And government should not be allowed to do what individual citizens cannot.
There should be no perpetual property taxes to begin with. Ever.

I was gonna say likewise... in pretty much every state, if you're renting a house and the tenants are behind six months on rent and you have irrefutable proof they're running a meth lab, you can't get them evicted that fast.

[juleswin]

I have always thought that when the state puts a lien on your property and then happen to sell it in auction, they took only the money that was owed and gave you the rest. This is has put a whole new twist to it

[phill4paul]

I was gonna say likewise... in pretty much every state, if you're renting a house and the tenants are behind six months on rent and you have irrefutable proof they're running a meth lab, you can't get them evicted that fast.

Been there. Done that in a round about way (bought property that had moochers...er...tenants). Never again.

I have always thought that when the state puts a lien on your property and then happen to sell it in auction, they took only the money that was owed and gave you the rest. This is has put a whole new twist to it

Well, ya see, there are a lot of costs to recover. A hundred government middle-men had to be involved in some aspect or another in the paper shuffling process. A property bill of $2k could easily stretch into the billions when you consider the amount of bureaucratic process involved.

[Anti Federalist]

'MuriKa!

The plight of the Calley family serves as a grim reminder of the fragility of property rights in America, and the true nature of property taxation. When citizens are obligated to pay perpetual sums of money to avoid the seizure of their rightly-owned property, they can never consider themselves anything greater than tenants on land controlled by the government.

The plight of the Calley family serves as a grim reminder of the fragility of property rights in America, and the true nature of property taxation. When citizens are obligated to pay perpetual sums of money to avoid the seizure of their rightly-owned property, they can never consider themselves anything greater than tenants on land controlled by the government.

The plight of the Calley family serves as a grim reminder of the fragility of property rights in America, and the true nature of property taxation. When citizens are obligated to pay perpetual sums of money to avoid the seizure of their rightly-owned property, they can never consider themselves anything greater than tenants on land controlled by the government.

[Anti Federalist]

'MuriKa!

The plight of the Calley family serves as a grim reminder of the fragility of property rights in America, and the true nature of property taxation. When citizens are obligated to pay perpetual sums of money to avoid the seizure of their rightly-owned property, they can never consider themselves anything greater than tenants on land controlled by the government.

The plight of the Calley family serves as a grim reminder of the fragility of property rights in America, and the true nature of property taxation. When citizens are obligated to pay perpetual sums of money to avoid the seizure of their rightly-owned property, they can never consider themselves anything greater than tenants on land controlled by the government.

The plight of the Calley family serves as a grim reminder of the fragility of property rights in America, and the true nature of property taxation. When citizens are obligated to pay perpetual sums of money to avoid the seizure of their rightly-owned property, they can never consider themselves anything greater than tenants on land controlled by the government.

[thoughtomator]

There is a time-tested solution to situations like this but for some reason people would rather whine and wail than use it.

[Christian Liberty]

My Kiwi friend was appalled when I told him that, here in the land of the free, the banks or the state can seize the whole property and keep all the proceeds from the sale. Evidently in NZ they can take the house and sell it, but can only keep whatever was owed and the rest goes back to the former owner.

Should we be sure America is the freest country on the earth?

Maybe I should make it my life goal to move to New Zealand..

I'm pointing this out to the next person who tries to tell me that the US is the "freest country in the world"... I at least want to force whoever says it next to grapple with that.

There is a time-tested solution to situations like this but for some reason people would rather whine and wail than use it.

Its called the second amendment. Unfortunately, today's churches are too far in bed with the government and too busy misusing Romans 13 to actually do what churches did to spark the American Revolution.

[acesfull]

If this story is true, the county tax collector and any local judge that authorized the sale of that lady's property without due process of law should be charged criminally and surely this Lady will have a great USC 42 section 1983 case. It begs the question, where are all the Constitutional lawyers on this issue?

They say that desperate people do desperate things, I believe that saying also applies to broke desperate Government agency's, they will attempt to steal and even kill.

A= Government
B= Homeowner
C= Third party citizen

A steals property from B and sells to C and also collects taxes from C- C now falls on hard times and cannot pay taxes to A--- The thief of property in the name of " Tax evader starts all over again... PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS NOT HAPPENING IN AMERICA.. PLEASE!

Again I ask where is the ACLU on this issue?

I would be more then happy to send any donations to help this lady and her family, I would also be willing to send off some letters to the local tax collector and or judge and or the city counsel people that violated this lady's liberty therefore if a fund account is established I will donate also if someone could ascertain the names and addresses of the vile thieves that striped the Calley Family of their home, I will start the press rolling against the thieves...

Horror stories like this one just get my blood boiling.. This is tyranny squared and it may becoming to a town near you..

My .02

Regards

Acesfull