Seneca County Delinquent Tax Deadline Approaching

If you own property in Seneca County, the deadline to pay delinquent taxes to avoid foreclosure is just a few weeks away.

Properties with outstanding 2020 taxes after March 3rd will proceed to foreclosure and a State Supreme Court Judge may enter a judgment ordering the property seized and sold at public auction.

“No one wants to see someone lose their property because of unpaid taxes,” says County Treasurer Les Marquart, “While it’s the job of my office to collect taxes, the main focus here is keeping people on their property and in their homes. Either bringing taxes current or entering into an installment agreement with our office before the redemption date will help folks avoid the foreclosure process.”

According to Marquart, each fall, the Treasurer’s Office mails Foreclosure Notice and Petition to properties owners with delinquent taxes that are subject to foreclosure. The Petition filed last October includes properties with delinquent taxes from 2020. Those notices are mailed both regular and certified mail to property owners, mortgage holders and others with identified interests in the delinquent properties. “We also publish a list of the delinquent taxes in two local newspapers and, in certain cases, post warnings on the properties that they could be sold for back taxes,” he noted.

Only after each of those steps occurs, does the County Attorney bring the matter to court to obtain a judgment foreclosing on the properties still in delinquent status.

“The law requires the county to take every step to enforce the property tax laws and ensure that everyone pays their fair share,” Marquart said. “This additional notice is really just another way to do that, above and beyond what the law requires, to try to keep people in their homes and businesses.”

An updated list of properties in delinquent tax status is available online on the Seneca County Treasurer’s website.