REMARKS
Council Member Sandy Nurse explains proposed bills to help homeowners with property tax issues
0:02:59
ยท
113 sec
Council Member Sandy Nurse presents three pieces of legislation aimed at helping homeowners avoid property tax debt and the tax lien sale. She explains how these bills will improve notification about tax exemptions, protect against deed theft, and make it easier to find out if a property has a lien.
- Intro 782-A requires DOF to notify owners of potential tax exemptions and alert them about ACRIS
- Intro 783 mandates DOF to record tax liens over $5,000 in ACRIS
- Resolution 327 calls for retroactive application of tax exemptions at the state level
Sandy Nurse
0:02:59
Thank you, chair Brennan, and good morning.
0:03:02
Today, we're hearing through my bills, as was just mentioned, that will help homeowners stay out of property tax debt and avoid the tax lien sale.
0:03:10
These bills follow the significant changes this council made to property tax debt collection and the lien sale last year.
0:03:18
While we have made significant reforms to the lien sale, there will still be those owners who fall into your arrears when they could and should be benefiting from property tax exemptions.
0:03:28
For those owners who are paying more than they should be, intro 782 will require DOF to proactively notify owners of exemptions they may be eligible for as well as their renewable renewal applications, ensuring greater compliance for the city and relief for homeowners.
0:03:44
Additionally, this bill will better protect homeowners from deed theft and other speculative behavior by notifying them or a designated third party on how to sign up for city alerts if and when financial documents that have been recorded against their property.
0:03:58
Just as these reforms should be as easy as possible to access, it should also be easy to figure out if your property has a lien in the first place.
0:04:07
To this effect, intro 783 will require DOF to record tax liens on ACRIS when the lien exceeds 5,000, thereby providing one more medium where owners can find out if they are behind in their taxes.
0:04:20
Lastly, reso 327 calls on the state to help struggling homeowners who may have accrued debt while being eligible for, but not taking advantage of, property tax exemptions.
0:04:30
By allowing eligible homeowners to have these exemptions applied retroactively, actively, we can bring at risk households into compliance, save people's homes, and stabilize neighborhoods.
0:04:42
So I'm hoping these bills will not only support our tax rules, but keep people in their homes and debt free.
0:04:47
And I'm really looking forward to any feedback the administration has.
0:04:51
And thank you, chair Brennan.