Report: About 8,000 Homes In Wayne County Foreclosure Auction Are Presently Occupied
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - An upcoming tax foreclosure auction in Wayne County is sparking fears of mass evictions after a published report revealed that thousands of the homes are presently occupied.
According to a report in the Detroit News, an estimated 8,000 of the 25,000 homes up for sale during this month's online property auction are occupied.
But David Szymanski, who recently retired as Wayne County's chief deputy treasurer, said fewer than 1,000 homes at this year's auction are occupied by owners; the remainder are renters or squatters.
County treasury officials initially planned to foreclose on 22,000 owner-occupied properties, but worked out payment plans with most.
State law requires officials to foreclose for back taxes. The auction began in September and continues this month.
Wayne County has foreclosed on 110,000 properties since 2005 because of taxes. The vast majority of those are believed to be vacant lots and homes.
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