Lawsuit Challenges Home Foreclosures in Oakland County, Michigan

Eight homeowners in Michigan filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals against Oakland County Treasurer Andrew Meisner.

The suit contends that the foreclosure process is unconstitutional, as the government has taken property for delinquent property taxes and other fees without providing fair equity to the owners.

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Detroit Lawmaker Seeks $43 Million Annual Tax Hike for Museums

Marshall Bullock

A Detroit lawmaker is pitching up to a 20-year, additional 0.4 mill tax hike to Wayne and Oakland County residents to fund museums – similar to the Detroit Institute of Art tax.

Sen. Marshall Bullock, D-Detroit, sponsored Senate Bill 653 that would apply only to counties with a population over one million – narrowing to the above two counties to fund the Detroit Historical Society and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

Bullock’s office hasn’t responded to multiple requests by The Center Square for comment.

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New Foreclosure Rules Align State Law with Michigan Supreme Court Ruling

The Michigan tax code is finally aligned with a 2020 Michigan Supreme Court ruling that prohibited county treasurers from pocketing excess equity when foreclosing on tax-delinquent homes.

The ruling followed Oakland County seizing Uri Rafaeli’s property in 2014 over an initial tax debt of $8.41, which rose to $285.81 after interest, penalties, and fees.

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Class-Action Lawsuit Targets Wayne County Foreclosure Practices

A Detroiter filed a class-action lawsuit against Wayne County on Thursday, claiming officials foreclosed on her home, sold it at less than half the market value, and then pocketed the proceeds.

Philip L. Ellison, an attorney at Hemlock-based Outside Legal Counsel, and others filed the lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. Eastern District Court on behalf of Tonya Bowles, who lost her East State property to foreclosure in 2017.

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Sens. Gary Peters, John Kennedy Celebrate U.S. Senate’s Passage of Resolution Marking Sept. 11-17 as Patriot Week

U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Kennedy (R-LA) applauded Senate passage of their  bipartisan resolution designating Sept. 11-17 as Patriot Week.

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Ohio’s Patriot Week Foundation Celebrates Constitution, Civics All Month in Oakland County

The Patriot Week Foundation is marking its 10th anniversary by hosting a series of events in Oakland County, Michigan, throughout September to promote the Constitution and American civics.

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