Tax Forfeiture / Foreclosure Coordinator

Under the supervision of the Property Tax Coordinator, assist in the administration of all aspects of PA 123 of 1999 and MCL 211.78a-t to ensure all statutory requirements are met. Act as main coordinator for the statutory processes of MCL 211.78m and 211.78t. Proficiently use BS&A Software for record keeping, mailings, and reports. Coordinate large projects (statutory requirements of process, vendor contact, personal service, title work, preventative services, auction coordination, and long term data collection for research purposes). Assist in the training and supervision of the Foreclosure Prevention Specialist and Foreclosure Prevention Community Outreach Coordinator. Assists Property Tax Coordinator with the networking of taxpayers to social service providers and other efforts to avoid foreclosure.  Maintains exacting paper and computer records for all parcels in delinquency, forfeiture and foreclosure.  Obtain data on property owner from various sources including Register of Deeds, internet searches, and other government databases to correct for bad address and determine if deceased. Track the progress of homeowners who are actively working with the Foreclosure Prevention Office. File data for recording during Court process. Organize and coordinate foreclosed properties through the auction process.  Performs a variety of other tasks related to the administration of statute and communication between non-profit, community agencies and government organizations. The Foreclosure Prevention Office (FPO), under which this position falls, is to aid in the collection of over $18,000,000 in delinquent real property taxes for Ingham County (data as of 2021). This figure does not include the additional statutory interest and fees collected throughout the twenty-five month statutory process. The Foreclosure Prevention Office is entrusted with balancing this statutory collection process as defined by PA 123 of 1999 and MCL 211.78a-t, with the need for assistance to property owners experiencing hardship to help them save and protect their financial assets. Working with homeowners and their families to prevent loss of often their greatest asset(s), helps keep families safely houses, prevents homelessness and mitigates blight in Ingham County. Proficiency in all processes of this office is required as all FPO staff must work collaboratively to meet statutory deadlines.

1. Understand and interpret statute PA 123 of 1999 and MCL 211.78a-t for successful administration of statutory requirements. Including researching legal opinions, state requirements, and other opt-in county operations. Engage and consult attorney for issues that require legal counsel.
2. Effectively communicate the PA 123 of 1999 and MCL 211.78a-t process and legal requirements through ongoing training with staff. Must also be able to effectively communicate the statutes with the constituents to whom it affects. Includes written, electronic, and in person communication with at risk property owners.
3. Enact all statutory aspects of PA 123 of 1999 from the point of foreclosure, specifically MCL 211.78t (as amended in 2020). Includes tracking and notification of potential claimants for excess proceeds. Drafting and filing required legal forms in compliance of the associated court process. Tracking the progress of these court cases in association with our legal counsel. Communicate the process and expectations with claimants and claimant’s legal representation across the 14 month post-foreclosure process.
4. Plan, coordinate and manage the Auction process as stipulated in MCL 211.78m (as amended in 2020) which brings in over a million dollars in sales annually. Includes tracking the county expense associated to each foreclosed parcel and the associated spending that takes place on that parcel from the point of foreclosure. Creating an auction list and calculating the opening bids for auction to recover the outstanding county expense. Involves pulling data from multiple sources including local municipalities, code enforcement agencies, and the Ingham County Land Bank to accurately calculate the minimum bids as per MCL 211.78m(5).
5. Coordinate evictions of foreclosed properties in association with legal counsel. Compassionately and effectively communicate with homeowners and property occupants regarding their foreclosed properties. Communicate timelines and expectations of both the County and their multiple representatives that will be acting at foreclosed properties over the required period of time.
6. Work with the Land Bank and City Code Compliance on the care and maintenance of foreclosed properties from the point of foreclosure through transfer to an auction buyer or to the Land Bank. Act as coordinator between the Land Band, their contractors and the properties owned by the Ingham County Treasurer. This includes doing physical inspections of each property, contractor coordination, and general upkeep based on municipal code. Assist in the interpretation and analysis of individual parcel conditions for disposition. Coordinate scheduling among staff for the pre-auction open houses. Foreclosed houses tend to be blighted or abandoned and in significant levels of disrepair, this does create potential hazardous conditions when making physical inspections of the properties and doing open houses.
7. Oversee the Right of First Refusal and Rejection Process as stipulated by MCL 211.78m(1) and (6). Involves direct communication with local government officials in all municipalities in Ingham County and the ability to effectively communicate the statutory process with local government officials who might be new to their position.
8. Draft deeds, affidavits, releases, discharges, covenants, and other documents related to the sale, transfer, or involvement of the Ingham County Treasurer with property acquired and sold through the statutory foreclosure process. Involves knowledge of deeds, legal documents, and exemptions as related to the transfer of real estate.
9. Plan, schedule, and coordinate community events on behalf of the Ingham County Treasurer to publicize and prepare the public for the upcoming auction. Includes preparing documentation to be shared with attendees as well as effectively answering questions in relation to the auction process. Media forms used for publication and advertisement include: written media, television, radio, and social media.
10. Process title work by effectively searching through recorded documents, understand what the documents mean, and understanding the weight it holds against a 40 year chain of title. Accurate data extraction from title work is of critical importance to the statutory process as it ensures legal due process in compliance with MCL 211.78a-t. Requires proficiency in the use of Laredo Software and governmental record search program Accurint. Act as back up to the Foreclosure Prevention Specialist for communication with our title search vendors.
11. Maintain accurate computer records for over 10,000 tax delinquent parcels in Ingham County. Including name and up to date address information for all interest parties, payment information, conversation history, and document history.
12. Develop personal knowledge of over 2,000 habitually forfeited parcels to seek long term solutions. Effectively and empathetically communicate the situation and rehabilitation options to clients. Includes communication with taxpayers, and advocacy and coordination on the taxpayer’s behalf with social service providers. Must be able to navigate sensitive topics including health issues, death, and financial hardships. As well as navigate difficult and complicated family dynamics. The risk of failing to pay taxes is foreclosure and homelessness, making these situations high stakes and leaving homeowners vulnerable. De-escalation skills are imperative.
13. Research and understand eligibility requirements for assistance programs that could help property tax delinquent citizens. Requires ongoing education as programs change and evolve, as well as good record keeping and communication while working in partnership with these different assistance programs (federal, state and private).
14. Critically analyze delinquent and forfeited property taxes to better explain to homeowners the itemization of a delinquent tax bill and suggest programs and exemptions that might help lower their property tax bills. Be able to identify errors and discrepancies within a tax bill and communicate for review with the relevant parties, specifically local assessors and treasurers.
15. Maintain open lines of communications with all local units of government to assist residents when issues relating to homeownership and property taxes arise.
16. Prepare and process the February mailings sent in response to the Judicial Foreclosure Hearing. These are specific and specialized per property based on the results of the hearing. Prepare and process the mailing sent pre and post foreclosure relating to the rights to excess proceeds from auction.
17. Maintain accurate electronic and hard copy filings of all legal documents that accrue during the statutory process. This includes understanding and interpreting legal documents, as well as reviewing for accuracy and communicating with our attorney on situations that arise from them. Requires understanding of state and court mandated document retention schedules per the State of Michigan general retention schedule #27 for county treasurers. This helps protect Ingham County from potential liability and litigation.
18. Create and maintain exacting long term record keeping for all properties that have gone through the statutory process (42 year retention schedule). Includes locating missing historical information, as well as maintaining several large databases.
19. Track and understand pending court cases and class action lawsuits against MCL 211.78a-t that will ultimately affect our foreclosure process. Includes preparing for expected changes to MCL 211.78a-t that could ultimately affect past foreclosures and auction sales going back to 2013.
20. Assist the Treasurer and accounting staff in the tracking, calculation and payout of excess proceeds claims both in line with current statute as stated in MCL 211.78t and any future court mandated claims processes.
21. Assist the Treasurer and accounting staff in the tracking, calculation and payout of governmental property tax assistance programs.
22. Represent the Ingham County Treasurer’s Office on its official social media accounts. Used to provide up to date information regarding tax deadlines, auction information, open houses, dog license events and information, and support other county organizations and community agencies. Must uphold professionalism and decorum when communicating on the Ingham County Treasurer’s behalf in an online presence.
23. Create, maintain, and regularly update the Ingham County Treasurer’s office website. Involves understanding of the Revise webpage program and continuing education of the functions and options available. Includes designing page layouts, creating useable online documents to increase accessibility and ease of access to our constituents, and updating any and all aspects of the page at the request of other staff members. As well as creating and designing graphics to be used across the Ingham County Treasurer’s website and social media in support of foreclosure prevention campaigns or other community programs and events the Ingham County Treasurer’s Office is taking part in.
24. Act as trainer and back up to the Foreclosure Prevention Specialist and Foreclosure Prevention Community Outreach Coordinator. Must be knowledgeable on their job duties and day to day functions in order to offer guidance and assume their roles to ensure compliance with statutory deadlines.
25. Act as the Property Tax Coordinator in their absence. Must be knowledgeable of their job duties and day to day functions in order to ensure compliance with statutory deadlines.

• Assist main office as needed for absences and vacations by answering the phone and providing costumer service. Perform tax certifications on deeds, accept delinquent tax payments and issue dog licenses as needed.
• Utilize office machinery such as folders and printers and have confidence to trouble shoot as needed. 
• Must adhere to departmental standards in regards to HIPAA and other privacy issues
• During a public health emergency, the employee may be required to perform duties similar to, but not limited, to those in his/her job description.
• Perform a variety of other functions related to administrative operations of the office, including backup for the Property Tax Coordinator.
  

Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science, social work, urban planning, economics, or a related field. Requires title work, real estate knowledge, legislation, social service work and collaboration with other governmental entities which demands a high degree of critical thinking skills and high attention to detail.

Experience: 3 to 5 years experience working with social service agencies or in a customer service field is a plus. Experience with law, legal documents, and interpreting legal writings is a plus.

Other Requirements:                                                                

• Ability to work independently without continuous supervision and hold oneself accountable to statutory deadlines.
• Must possess a high degree of integrity and trustworthiness due to access to databases that contain people’s confidential and personal information, including Accurint/Lexis Nexis, court records, County Clerk records and the Register of Deeds.
• High accuracy and quality is necessary to limit financial liability from law suits.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Valid Michigan Driver’s License and reliable transportation.

The qualifications listed above are intended to represent the minimum skills and experience levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in this job description. The qualifications should not be viewed as expressing absolute employment or promotional standards, but as general guidelines that should be considered along with other job-related selection or promotional criteria.

• Ability to visit various blighted properties to inspect and/or post notices. May involve hazardous conditions.
• This position require the ability to sit, stand, walk, traverse, climb, balance, twist, bend, stoop/crouch, squat, kneel, crawl, lift, carry, push, pull, reach, grasp, handle, pinch, type, endure repetitive movements of the wrists, hands or fingers.
• This position’s physical requirements entail continuous stamina in sitting, standing, typing, and enduring repetitive movements of the wrists, hands or fingers. 
• This position primarily requires close visual acuity to perform tasks within arm’s reach such as: viewing a computer screen, using measurement devices, inspecting and assembling parts, etc…
• This position requires the ability to operate a PC/Laptop and to enter & retrieve information from a computer. 
• This position requires the ability to communicate and respond to inquiries both in person and over the phone. 
• This position requires the ability to handle varying and often high levels of stress. 

 [This job requires the ability to perform the essential functions contained in this description. These include, but are not limited to, the following requirements.  Reasonable accommodations will be made for otherwise qualified applicants unable to fulfill one or more of these requirements]: 

 Working Conditions: 

• May be required to travel to various blighted property sites throughout the County.
• Works with individuals in various emotional states and highly stressful situations that may result in verbally abusive or volatile outburst. 
• May be required to work at events outside the office.
• May be required to work remotely, particularly in emergent situations.
• May be required to work outside in various weather conditions.
• May be required to work in buildings or offices that deal with emotional and sensitive topics that may result in hostile or volatile outburst.                                             

ICEA PRO 8

2022

Salary : $68,330 - $82,047