Lake County will have tax sale next month

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BY BILL DOLAN
bdolan@nwitimes.com
219.662.5328 | Tuesday, June 05, 2007 | (10 comment(s))

CROWN POINT | The Lake County treasurer's office mailed final warnings to thousands of real estate owners who are delinquent on their property taxes.

Now they must pay up, or the auctioneer's gavel will come down July 10, 11 and 12 with their properties potentially being sold out from under them. Treasurer John Petalas said a new state law has accelerated the sale deadline, which usually was in September or October.

As of Monday, about 13,000 properties in Lake County had delinquent property taxes and were subject to the tax sale, Petalas said. That number could come down as homeowners settle up with the county between now and the sale.

The sale is an auction in which the bidding begins with the amount of taxes owed on delinquent properties. The highest bid on each parcel wins.

Last year's tax sale of more than 7,200 properties prompted interest by federal investigators into allegations that desirable properties were quietly withdrawn or steered to those with political connections.

The suspicion came in the wake of other federal investigations of manipulation of the tax collection system.

Petalas said Monday he wants to assure the public that delinquent properties will come off the tax sale only for legitimate reasons.

He said some properties were withdrawn last year when delinquent property owners flooded into his office to make their partial payments to retain their land and judges ordered properties withdrawn.

Petalas said last year's sale was his first, and he hopes the lessons learned will make the process more transparent.

"We changed the methodology we used for payment plans. We have (owners of delinquent properties) fill out an application to be on a payment plan," Petalas said. "If they have been on one before and defaulted or not paid, we do not allow them to be on it again."

He said any requests to remove delinquent properties from the sale must be documented.

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Gwendolyn Carthage wrote on Jul 28, 2008 4:33 PM:

" I would like to get a copy of listing.
How would I go about doing so, for August if there will be one. "

:NotQuiteSo Concerned. wrote on Jun 13, 2007 2:37 PM:

" You're all right, tax officials did screw up Lake County taxes. Until 3 or 4 years ago, the tax system was designed to double calculate the depreciation factor for these homes' age, which is absolutely incorrect. The residents got used to these ultra-low tax rates, but when government officials found the problem and corrected it they were unable to adapt to the new, proper situation. They pay no more in taxes than anyone else does. "

Armyman2007 wrote on Jun 13, 2007 12:11 PM:

" The list is in the June 10 copy of the Times Newspaper. 98% of the homes are in Gary, so don't get too excited. "

Concerned wrote on Jun 10, 2007 12:35 PM:

" All these people who allowed corrupt government to fester in the county and city levels are now complaining? These are the same people who would take money for signs, favors, and votes! Lake County is as good as the people and businesses that care about it. (I'd say that is a small number.) "

curous wrote on Jun 7, 2007 10:34 AM:

" how do I get the list of properties up for sale? "

Bill day wrote on Jun 5, 2007 7:30 PM:

" i would like to get a list of properties that are behind and for sale in the sate Indiana a round the zip code 46322 thank you "

Don Dodge wrote on Jun 5, 2007 6:16 PM:

" How many of these properties belong to senior citizens on a fixed income that simply cannot afford the REDICULOUS taxes that the criminals at the county tax assesors laid on them. How many people will be driven from their homes that they worked so hard to acquire. County tax officials should be ASHAMED of themselves!!! They should be thrown out of their homes so they know what it feels like what they are doing to all the hard working people who will now be homeless. "

CD wrote on Jun 5, 2007 10:06 AM:

" Why can't homeowners do like the steel mills and tell the government how much tax they will pay? "

Delinquent Properties? wrote on Jun 5, 2007 8:47 AM:

" Indiana should be ashamed! These are not just delinquent properties, these use to be peoples homes before the State and Local Agencies screwed up on the taxes years ago. How would all you that work for the City and State like it if your house was put up on the Auction block because you could not pay the HIGH taxes set for us? There should be a couple Officicals behind bars for the way they screwed the Lake County Residents. "

Interested wrote on Jun 5, 2007 8:09 AM:

" How do I get a list of these properties? "

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