Lien Forward Ohio begins foreclosure process

Notices filed on first anniversary of office’s opening

YOUNGSTOWN – Exactly one year to the day that its office opened at 20 W. Federal St., Lien Forward Ohio Regional Council of Governments has filed its first foreclosure actions in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Eight vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent parcels in Mahoning County are cited in the initial wave of foreclosures by Lien Forward Ohio on behalf of its clients who will return these properties to productive use.

Lien Forward Ohio’s staff research shows that the owners of these tax-delinquent properties are deceased, living out of state or affiliated with defunct businesses.

Lien Forward Ohio currently is preparing foreclosures on an additional 40 parcels.

“Lien Forward Ohio will have a tremendous impact on this community in the months and years to come,” says Mahoning County Treasurer Lisa Antonini, who is president of Lien Forward Ohio’s Board of Directors. “Local residents are ready to do their part to make their neighborhoods better. Lien Forward Ohio wants to help them bring their hopes and dreams to fruition.”

“The need for Lien Forward Ohio’s program and services is clear,” says Executive Director Debora Flora. “Our clients are hungry for change. They see abandoned lots near their homes, churches and places of business. They have pride in their own properties. They are excited to take ownership of forgotten land and put it to many good uses. Their enthusiasm is infectious.”

A tax lien represents delinquent tax amounts on a property. The Mahoning County Treasurer’s Office facilitates annual tax lien certificate sales in order to transfer that debt from the county’s records. Tens of thousands of tax liens have been sold in packages to the highest bidder. Lien Forward Ohio acts as a liaison between lien holders (usually investment companies) and citizens who buy individual tax liens in order to have a stake in properties they want to acquire.

Tax liens give interested parties negotiating power with property owners or, when owners cannot be found, the legal right to file foreclosure for repayment of the lien.

Lien Forward Ohio is a partnership by Mahoning County and the City of Youngstown. Its mission is to make vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent land productive again. Such lots are detrimental to neighborhood morale when high grass and trash dumping occurs. Schools and social service agencies that rely on property tax dollars suffer when bills go unpaid. Municipal and county governments may be charged higher rates of interest on loans from lenders who view past-due property taxes as a credit risk.

Here are other significant numbers that Lien Forward Ohio has tallied in its first full year of operation:

7 – Number of quit-claim deeds that Lien Forward Ohio has facilitated on vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent parcels. Quit-claim deeds are alternatives to foreclosure, when legal owners agree to transfer property ownership as repayment to lien holders.

81 – Number of interested parties who have attended free, one-hour workshops at Lien Forward Ohio’s office suite since the educational program was instituted in May 2007. To date, another 25 persons have registered for sessions to be held this month. Workshops are offered on select Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings.  Anyone who wants learn about Lien Forward Ohio’s program and services is encouraged to attend. Seating is limited. To make reservations, call (330) 259-1040.

5,160 – Number of tax lien certificates that Lien Forward Ohio now controls as part of an agreement with American Tax Funding of Jupiter, Fla., which was the successful bidder in Mahoning County’s recent negotiated tax lien sales. These liens are on properties of extremely low value, according to the Mahoning County Auditor’s records. The liens are being used to aid neighborhood revitalization projects, such as church expansion and construction plans.

64 – Number of interested parties (individuals, businesses or not-for-profit organizations) that have been approved for lien transfers and/or financial aid by the Lien Transfer and Grant Review Committee that oversees requests for Lien Forward Ohio’s services. Lien Forward Ohio has a property acquisition fund to help parties afford the legal costs associated with land acquisition. Lien Forward Ohio also provides free attorney services to qualified applicants.

5 – Number of interested parties who are overqualified for financial aid but are retaining Lien Forward Ohio’s attorney at a discounted rate in order to facilitate land ownership transfers.

Additional information is available on Lien Forward Ohio’s web site, www.lienforwardohio.org.

For information: Debora Flora, (330) 259-1040
Lisa Antonini, (330) 740-2460 ext. 7759