County tax sale scheduled Sept. 9

Putnam County will conduct a tax sale on Tuesday, Sept. 9 for delinquent properties that have delinquent taxes and special assessments due from the prior year's spring installment.

In Indiana, the county treasurer and auditor are required to sell tax liens on delinquent properties that remain unpaid from the prior year's spring installment. Putnam County will offer the tax sale certificates at a public sale that is not less than the total amount due in delinquent taxes, costs and penalties.

"The purpose of this tax sale is to offer these delinquent properties in order to collect back taxes to help fund local government services," Auditor Lorie Hallett said.

Treasurer Sharon Owens added, "There are currently 251 properties available for the tax sale, totaling $611,500.36 in delinquencies."

In addition to serving as a source for local governments to collect unpaid property taxes, tax sales also serve as an opportunity for real estate investors to earn interest income upon redemption of the property within one year from the sale or to take title to the property through a post-tax sale process that involves petitioning the local court for a tax deed.

Putnam County has contracted with SRI Inc., an Indianapolis-based company founded in 1989 that conducts tax sales, commissioners' certificate sales and commissioners' deed sales for more than 80 counties in Indiana, Michigan and Colorado.

Persons interested in registering and bidding at the Putnam County Tax Sale should visit the SRI Inc. website at www.sri-taxsale.com and read the information regarding

tax sales.