Detroiters: If you went through tax foreclosure between 2015 and 2020, Wayne County may owe you money. A lot of money, in some cases.
Don’t believe us? Ask Eric Sabree, Wayne County treasurer.
In a recorded message, he gives a step-by-step explanation of how former homeowners can recover funds after the county unconstitutionally profited from their foreclosures.
“This is your money,” Sabree said in the video message. “But you have to file a claim to get it, and you need to file this claim by March 31, 2025.”
Recent rulings by the Michigan Supreme Court allow former property owners to claim the difference between the taxes owed and the tax auction sale price. Suppose a home was seized for $5,000 in unpaid taxes then sold for $20,000 at the tax auction. That $15,000 profit belongs to the former homeowner, not the county. (The county can deduct foreclosure costs and a 5% commission, Sabree said.)
In Detroit alone, homeowners stand to reclaim some $20 million linked to roughly 2,400 foreclosures, according to an analysis by Alex Alsup, vice president of research and development at Regrid, a property data company. This figure only includes homes believed to be owner-occupied at the time of foreclosure.
But many if not most eligible Detroiters have no idea they have a windfall to claim — and they’ll get zilch unless they submit a notarized form before March 31.
The form is just one page long and available through a Wayne County webpage at https://www.waynecounty.com/elected/treasurer/auction.aspx . In the video, Sabree walks through it step by step.
Print out the form, grab a pen and press play, or scroll down for written instructions pulled from the video. Need help? Here’s where to get free assistance making a claim: https://outliermedia.org/wayne-country-eric-sabree-reclaim-money/#nonprofit-help
Part 1: Applicant information
Enter your full name and contact information. “If you don’t have an email address, then give us the email address of someone that’s close to you that can retrieve an email on your behalf,” Sabree said.
Then enter your current address — where you live today. If the county owes you money, this is where it’ll send a check.
Part 2: Property identification
If the foreclosed property was in Detroit, start this section by entering the county as “Wayne” and the local taxing unit as “Detroit.” The local taxing unit is the city or township where the property is located.
For the next field, foreclosure year, Sabree said it’s OK to include your best guess. Just remember that it has to fall in the years 2015-20.
The address is required. Make sure it’s correct and includes the street name, number, city, state and ZIP code. The form also asks for a local parcel number, which you can look up through the county’s parcel viewer map. If you can’t find the parcel number, that’s OK, Sabree noted.
“Leave it blank, and we’ll match it with the address. But you have to have the address.”
Part 3: Explanation of interest
Do you have records of a deed or mortgage for this property in the applicant’s name? If so, check the relevant box. If you don’t have a date or information about where the document was recorded, Sabree said it’s OK to leave those sections blank.
Don’t have a record of ownership? If you think you have a stake in the property because of a land contract, inheritance or something else, you can use the box in this section to describe your interest. You can also text REPAY to 67485, our TXT OUTLIER service, for help with these details at https://outliermedia.org/txt-outlier/.
Part 4: Certification and notary
Don’t sign the form yet — you have to find a notary first!
“You can’t sign it and date it, and then take it to the notary and say, ‘Oh, I want you to notarize the form,’” Sabree said. “They’re not going to do it, because (you) have to sign it in their presence.”
Bridging Communities, a Detroit-based nonprofit, is offering free support and notary services to help Detroiters claim their money. You can also text REPAY to 67485 at any time for help with the process.*
Submit the form
Your form is complete, notarized — the whole shebang.
Now you can submit it through certified mail or in person.
To send certified mail, stop by the post office and say you want to send the form by certified mail, return receipt requested.
To drop it off in person, visit the Treasurer’s Office. “That’s 400 Monroe, fifth floor,” Sabree said. “We’re downtown, right in Greektown.”
Staff at the office should stamp the form and give you a copy.
Then what?
Once the form is submitted, the Treasurer’s Office has until July 1 to let you know if there’s money to claim, though Sabree noted that notifications could go out sooner.
Then you’ll have until Oct. 1, 2025, to file a motion with the 3rd Circuit Court claiming the money. If more than one person claims the money, a judge will help divide it up.
If that sounds intimidating, remember that the whole process is free, help will be available throughout and the first step is easy.
“Fill out the claims form and start the process,” Sabree said.
Get help with a claim
If you or someone you know lost a home to tax foreclosure in Detroit between 2015 and 2020, text REPAY to 67485, our TXT OUTLIER service at https://outliermedia.org/txt-outlier/
Outlier Media is working with other Detroit nonprofits to help people fill out a claim form before the March 31 deadline at no cost. Note: Submitting the form is just the first step in a longer process.
Ready to fill out a form? You can get in-person help filling it out plus free notary services by visiting:
Bridging Communities
6900 McGraw Ave., Detroit, MI 48210
Open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 313-361-6377.
MACC Development
7900 Mack Ave., Detroit MI 48214
Open Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call 313-732-9302.
This story has been updated with current location information.
Koby Levin (he/him) believes curiosity is food for love, and love drives people to fight for their communities. He enjoys the many moods of the Detroit River. Email Koby at koby@outliermedia.org
