Commissioners sell 94 of 132 properties with certificate sale

The Putnam County Commissioners returned 94 properties of the 132 properties available to the tax roll as a result of conducting a commissioners certificate sale on Feb. 24.

"The dollars collected from the sale will help fund the budgets of local government," Putnam County Treasurer Sharon Owens said in assessing the results. "The winning bidders also have the opportunity to eventually own the property and pay the property taxes timely, which benefits everyone."

In Indiana, county commissioners are authorized to offer for sale at a public auction a tax lien on delinquent properties that did not sell at the prior year's county tax sale.

At a commissioners' certificate sale, a tax sale certificate is offered for an amount less than the total owed in delinquent taxes, costs and penalties on the property.

The purpose of the reduced minimum bid is to attract bidders, collect as much in delinquent property taxes as possible and return the property to the property tax rolls.

The Putnam County Commissioners contracted with SRI Inc., an Indianapolis-based company founded in 1989 that conducts county tax sales and commissioners' certificate sales for 83 counties in Indiana, Michigan, Colorado and Florida.

Persons interested in more information on the tax sale and commissioners' sale process should visit www.sri-taxsale.com.