A tax bill sits on the counter long after dinner. Some people keep it face down. Some people open it, close it, then open it again, hoping the numbers change. That stress has a date attached to it this year.
Wayne County Treasurer Eric R. Sabree is urging homeowners behind on property taxes to enroll in a taxpayer assistance payment plan by March 31, 2026, a deadline that lines up with Michigan’s tax-foreclosure timeline for properties still unpaid deep into delinquency.
“We don’t want anyone to lose their home or property to foreclosure, and we have taxpayer assistance programs to help you,” Sabree said. “The deadline to enroll in these programs is March 31, 2026, so we encourage you to go online or contact us to get started today. Our team is standing by to help you.”
Property taxes run through a multi-year process. Taxes that remain unpaid by March 31 in the third year of delinquency are foreclosed by the foreclosing governmental unit.
Sabree’s office points to recent progress as proof that intervention changes outcomes.
Wayne County recorded 2,111 tax foreclosures in 2024, the Treasurer’s Office called that the county’s lowest number since 2003. The Treasurer’s foreclosure statistics notes that the office has saved over 50,000 people from property tax foreclosure within the past two years and reports an 85% reduction in foreclosures in the last three years.
That is the big picture. The small picture is a homeowner trying to keep a roof, a deed, a family address. Delinquent taxes pile up during layoffs, caregiving, medical bills, and rent hikes that swallow what used to be “extra.” For Black families, that pressure hits a nerve. Homeownership holds the memories, the block, the stability, the chance to pass something down.
Sabree’s office says three programs are available for eligible taxpayers.
The Stipulated Payment Agreement (REGSPA) offers a structured way to repay delinquent property taxes over time through defined payment terms.
The Distressed Owner/Occupant Extension (DOOE) is geared toward owner-occupants facing financial hardship who need additional time to resolve delinquent taxes while working to stay in the home.
The Interest Reduction Stipulated Payment Agreement (IRSPA) offers a payment plan that may include reduced interest charges for eligible taxpayers, lowering the overall cost of repayment for those who qualify.
Residents can start online at WayneCountyMI.gov/Treasurer or schedule an in-person appointment by calling (313) 224-5990. The Treasurer’s Office recommends reviewing program details and eligibility requirements, completing the appropriate application with property information and tax notice details ready, then submitting before March 31, 2026.
The office also emphasized the part people need to plan for once they get enrolled. Payments must stay on time to remain in the program.
For residents who do not know which program fits, the Treasurer’s Office says staff will walk taxpayers through eligibility, required documents, and the application process:
General email: taxinfo@waynecountymi.gov
Payment plans email: wctopaymentplans@waynecountymi.gov
Detroit homeowners also have a city-level lane worth knowing about while addressing back taxes.
Detroit’s HOPE program, the Homeowners Property Exemption, provides an opportunity for eligible homeowners to be exempt from current-year property taxes based on household income. HOPE is an annual application, and approved homeowners still pay certain fees, with the city noting the solid waste fee is discounted by 50% for HOPE-approved homeowners.
The broader tax-foreclosure story has also shifted in another way. Money is now moving back to residents who lost property through foreclosure and may be owed surplus proceeds.
By early January 2026, the Treasurer’s Office said more than $3.8 million had already been paid back out in Wayne County to former property owners and other eligible interest holders. The money reflects a major change in how Michigan handles tax-foreclosure auction proceeds, after court rulings and state-law updates made clear counties can’t hold onto leftover profit once the tax debt and fees are covered.
For many Detroit residents and families in older inner-ring suburbs, the refunds land as something closer to back pay than a bonus. The previous system hit hardest where wealth is most fragile and where homeownership often doubles as the family’s main asset.
For decades, the mechanics were brutal and simple. A property could be seized for unpaid taxes, sold at auction, and the former owner could walk away with nothing—even when the sale price cleared the tax bill by thousands, even when the overage was large enough to change someone’s life. Housing advocates, legal scholars, and community groups have argued that setup functioned like legalized taking, with Black homeowners and low-income Detroiters disproportionately caught in the churn.
Detroit’s mass-foreclosure era did not happen in a vacuum.
After the Great Recession, the city was already dealing with job loss, population decline, and municipal instability. Reporting over the years has documented how Detroit properties were over-assessed for prolonged stretches, producing inflated tax bills that raised constitutional issues and pushed residents—especially seniors and people living on fixed incomes—into delinquency on amounts they should not have been billed in the first place.
Then the numbers turned into neighborhood damage.
Between 2011 and 2015, Wayne County foreclosed on tens of thousands of Detroit properties. Homes cycled through auction. Blocks thinned out. Speculators bought up properties for low prices. Families lost houses they had owned outright for decades over debts that sometimes totaled a few thousand dollars. In many cases, the county sale brought in far more than what was owed, yet the former owners saw none of the excess.
Michigan Supreme Court decisions later disrupted that practice. In Schafer v. Kent County and Hathon v. State of Michigan, the court held that keeping surplus proceeds from tax-foreclosure sales violated property owners’ rights, confirming that former owners and other interest holders can be entitled to the “remaining proceeds” after unpaid taxes, interest, and administrative fees are deducted from the auction sale price.
Those rulings also reached backward, covering foreclosures that occurred before December 22, 2020, which opened a path for many residents who had already lost property to seek compensation. The Legislature then updated state law to build a claims process through Circuit Court, requiring eligible individuals to file motions connected to the specific foreclosed property.
In Wayne County, the claims process runs through the Wayne County Circuit Court, and funds are released only after court review and approval. County officials have said that structure includes documentation requirements and multiple steps, which means the process can move slowly even when a claim is valid. Still, payments have continued to go out, with additional claims under review and more expected as cases are finalized.
Awareness remains one of the biggest hurdles. Former owners have moved. Paper trails have been lost. Some people assumed foreclosure meant every tie to the property was permanently severed. Others remain distrustful of government processes after years of displacement and aggressive tax enforcement.
The Treasurer’s Office has responded with outreach meant to reach eligible residents and explain a legal process that can feel intimidating—through paid advertising, direct mail to last-known addresses, billboards, television and radio ads, and multilingual materials. Under Michigan law, only surplus funds from the auction sale are available, and claims must be filed within set deadlines. People with mortgages, liens, or other interests tied to the property may also qualify depending on their standing at the time of foreclosure.
To claim remaining proceeds, eligible former owners or interest holders must file a motion with the Wayne County Circuit Court related to the foreclosed property, including proof of ownership or interest at the time of foreclosure, proof of identity, and other required documentation.
If approved, the Treasurer’s Office issues payment. County officials caution the process takes time because claims must move through the court system before any money can be released.
Even with the shift toward restitution, Wayne County officials stress that foreclosure prevention remains the priority. Payment plans and assistance programs exist to keep residents in their homes before tax debt becomes unmanageable, with community organizations and nonprofits often serving as the bridge for residents who need help navigating the options.
None of that changes the immediate reality for families staring down the calendar. March 31, 2026 sits ahead. People who need a payment plan have a short window to act, gather documents, and get enrolled.
Help exists. The deadline exists too.
