Dewar Cited in The Detroit News on Foreclosure Auction
Professor of Urban and Regional Planning Margi Dewar was quoted in an article for The Detroit News on October 22, 2015. The article, “Reforms Pushed for $500 Foreclosure Auction,” addresses the Wayne County tax foreclosure auction. The auction ended on October 29 after two months online and is setting a record with 28,000 listed properties.
Detroit residents are losing their homes in masses, largely due to inflated city tax assessments, low household incomes, and subsequent unpaid property taxes. As many as 8,000 homes up for auction were occupied. Critics of the auction are calling for state legislature allowing bills to be retroactively lowered if a homeowner could have qualified for a poverty exemption, aiming to keep Detroit residents in their homes.
Dewar, who has studied the auction for years, said that the Wayne County Treasurer has been changing practices for the better, but much more remains to be done. “The scale is daunting in Detroit,” she said. Dewar advocates keeping residents informed of the ways they can reduce their tax bills. She and other critics support publicizing poverty exemptions, a provision currently in place to reduce or eliminate property taxes for homeowners unable to pay.
To read the full article, visit: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2015/10/21/wayne-county-auction/74370158/