Officials: Annual tax sale collects more than $256,000

Putnam County Officials hosted the annual delinquent property tax sale on Sept. 13, 2016. The sale was conducted by County Auditor Lorie Hallett and County Treasurer Sharon Owens.

A property tax sale is required to be held in each Indiana county for those properties on which an owner of real estate fails to pay the property taxes from the prior year’s first property tax bill installment.

A tax lien on the property may be sold to satisfy the tax obligation to the highest bidder.

The owners of the properties sold at the tax sale have one year to pay the delinquent property taxes, costs and penalties to keep the property.

Prior to the tax sale, all taxes, penalties and costs were paid in full for 189 parcels with judgments filed against them.

The sale, conducted by Indianapolis-based SRI Incorporated on behalf of Putnam County, offered 123 parcels to 32 bidders. SRI conducts tax sales in 83 counties in Indiana, Michigan and Colorado.

This year’s tax sale resulted in the collection of $256,724.83 from owners and buyers.

“Tax sales are a necessary function of county government,” Owens said. “It is only fair to the people who pay their property taxes every year to pursue those that do not pay.”

For the 68 properties that did not sell, the county commissioners acquire a tax lien. The county commissioners may offer those properties to the public at a sale at a later date.

“lt is our ultimate goal to return these properties to the tax rolls as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Hallett said. “Property owned by people that pay their property taxes ensure our local government services are fully funded.”

For more information on property tax sales, visit www.sri-taxsale.com or contact Hallett at 653-5513 or loriehallettpcauditor@yahoo.com or contact Owens at 653-4510 or sowens@putnamcountyin.us.