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If I purchase a
piece of property at auction, do I receive a deed or tax lien to the
property?
If you are the
successful bidder at auction you would receive a Quit Claim Deed to the
property. You do become the actual owner/title holder of the property
and not just a lien holder.
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When do I receive
my deed to the property?
The Treasurer will
execute a Quit Claim Deed to the new owner of the property within 30
days of the end of auction. The deed will then be recorded at the
Register of Deeds and mailed to the owner. The time this takes is
somewhat dependent on how fast the deed moves through the Register of
Deeds. You should on average get your deed between 4 and 6 weeks of the
end of auction.
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Are all existing
liens against the property wiped out?
Yes, all liens with
the exception of Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) liens are
extinguished. You own fee simple title to the property free and clear.
In the rare case that there is a DEQ lien on a piece of property, you
would need to contact the DEQ to see how it would affect you as the new
owner. The Treasurers Office would make known any DEQ liens that they
are aware of prior to the sale of the property.
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Am I responsible
for any delinquent taxes on the property?
The only taxes you are responsible for
are the taxes which become due and payable the same year as the
auction and all subsequent years. For example, if you purchase
a piece of property at a 2010 auction, you would be responsible for
paying the 2010 Summer and Winter bills for that property and then
subsequent years.
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Can I visit at or
inspect the property before auction?
No, due to safety and
liability issues you are not permitted to go into or onto any of the
properties prior to auction. Doing so could open you up to trespassing
charges.
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How can I find out
about the condition of the properties offered if I cannot go onto the
properties?
Please remember that
you are purchasing these properties as is, where is. Neither the
County Treasurer nor their staff has actually inspected any of these
properties. You will have to do as much of your own research as
possible. You could research zoning issues, building issues, and what
is currently being assessed on the property by contacting the respective
city or township officials where the property is located. These
officials phone numbers can be found in the County's navigation column,
to the left, under Townships/Cities.
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When do I take
possession of the property?
It is recommended that
you do not take possession or make improvements on the property until
you have your deed in hand. If you purchased a piece of property with a
habitable structure on it, you should execute an Eviction through
District Court to ensure you do not have any tenant problems. People
currently living in any of these properties have rights that you should
terminate through court.
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Do I get the
mineral rights to the property?
You receive any
mineral rights that existed with property at the time of foreclosure.
If the foreclosed property owner had all of the mineral rights, then
they transfer with the real property to you. If the mineral rights had
already been deeded away then you do not receive any. Any oil and gas
leases already in effect will remain valid and in effect. If the
mineral rights are a concern for you, you would have to do your own
in-depth search.
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If I purchase a
property with a mobile home on it, do I receive a title to the mobile
home?
No. You would have to
check with the Secretary of States Office and/or the local assessor to
see IF the mobile home is part of the real property and IF a title is
available.
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Can I obtain Title
Insurance on this property?
While the statute states that you get
fee-simple title free and clear to the property, you will probably
find that some of your local title companies are still not
comfortable with insuring these parcels unless you first execute a suit
to quiet title in court.
