If you have received a letter in the mail about the annual Franklin County Tax Lien Sale or you fear your property may be eligible for inclusion, you have options.
Please read the following information or call our Delinquent Tax Department at 614-525-3438 for assistance.
YOUR HOME IS STILL YOUR HOME
One point must be made clear: The Treasurer's Office is not selling your home.
The Treasurer's Office is selling the tax lien, or the right to collect the delinquent taxes.The outstanding tax dollars are paid in full to Franklin County, and the purchaser of the tax lien is owed the balance plus any additional fees and interest. This is referred to as the redemption amount.
The Treasurer's Office administers the sold tax liens, so property owners still make payments to the Franklin County Treasurer.
IF THE PROPERTY IS MY RESIDENCE,
WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?
To avoid the sale, you must pay your delinquent real-estate taxes or enter into a Payment Plan agreement to pay your taxes.
Call our Delinquent Tax Department at 614-525-3438 to find out how much you owe and how you can make payments.
First-time applicants for a residential payment plan must make monthly payments on the delinquent tax balance and must also pre-pay future taxes during the period of the agreement.
CAN I GET ON A PAYMENT PLAN
IF I HAVE BEEN ON ONE BEFORE?
You should contact the Delinquent Tax Department to discuss whether your payment history makes you eligible for a second payment plan.
WILL IT MEAN I HAVE TO PAY MORE MONEY?
Yes. If your tax lien is sold, fees and additional interest of up to 18% will be added to your tax bill. Because the tax lien is sold for multiple years, that could mean multiple years' worth of additional interest.
WHAT IF I'M A LANDLORD,
OR THE PROPERTY IS AGRICULTURAL,
COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL?
The Treasurer's Office will determine eligibility and the term or any payment plan sought for non-owner-occupied properties.
Owners, however, cannot have defaulted on any previous payment plan for their property. They also must enter into a pre-payment agreement for future taxes.
Please call 614-525-3438 for further information.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY LIEN IS SOLD?
A payment plan to redeem your property (that's the term for paying off a tax lien, interest and penalties) might be available within the first year after the lien is sold. Please call 614-525-3438 for further information.
If you do not pay the next year's real estate taxes and your tax lien has not been redeemed, the original tax lien purchaser has the exclusive right to purchase these newly delinquent taxes as an additional tax lien certificate.
Twelve months after the sale date, the buyer has the right to foreclose on your property. The buyer also has the option to wait until the end of the certificate period, allow the interest to accumulate and foreclose at the end of the certificate period. Once a foreclosure has been requested, additional legal fees and/or costs may be added to the redemption amount of the lien.
If foreclosure occurs, Ohio law allows the lien holder to use private attorneys or the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to handle the foreclosure. The process is the same as that used for any foreclosure involving the failure to pay delinquent real-estate taxes.