City of Ithaca Common Council Offers Lifeline to Homeowner Facing Foreclosure
Ithaca Resident Faces Home Foreclosure Over Unpaid Tax Bill, City Council Offers Lifeline
John Brazo, a 72-year-old lifelong resident of Ithaca, is at risk of losing his home due to an unpaid tax bill from 2022. However, a recent decision by the City of Ithaca Common Council may offer him a lifeline to keep his home.
The Common Council unanimously approved a resolution on Wednesday that would allow Brazo to reclaim his home if he pays his delinquent taxes and associated fees by June 17. This resolution aims to provide relief for residents facing foreclosure due to missed tax payments.
Brazo, who has lived at 602 S. Albany Street for 66 years, had fully paid off his property in 2022. Unfortunately, an oversight led to an unpaid $842 tax bill, putting his home in jeopardy of foreclosure. Despite being up to date on his 2023 and 2024 taxes, Brazo only recently discovered the foreclosure proceedings through unopened letters.
Serenna McCloud, Brazo’s attorney, criticized the city’s notification process, stating that more robust notice procedures should be in place to prevent such situations. Other residents, like Henry Hansteen, shared similar experiences of receiving inadequate notice regarding missed tax payments.
The resolution approved by the Common Council allows for the reconveyance of title to foreclosure properties to former owners if all outstanding taxes and fees are paid by June 17. Failure to meet this deadline will result in the properties being auctioned off on June 24.
This decision not only impacts Brazo but also sets a precedent for handling future cases of minor tax delinquencies that could lead to severe consequences for homeowners. The council aims to implement more stringent notification procedures and transparency in tax billing to protect residents from losing their homes due to oversights.
The City of Ithaca is taking steps to address systemic issues within the tax foreclosure process by ensuring that inadvertent tax delinquencies do not escalate to foreclosure. By enacting policy changes, the council hopes to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future and protect homeowners from losing their properties over minor mistakes.