State In Rem Foreclosure Law Reform
Summary
The county sold 16 foreclosed parcels at auction and will execute quitclaim deeds. One small Ithaca parcel sold for so little the county took a loss, and the county attorney said there's no direct way to recover it from the former owner — an Albany problem, members agreed.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 4
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Sep 8, 2026.
Impact analysis
The county absorbed a loss on at least one parcel sold below the taxes owed.
Buyers of the foreclosed properties who receive clear title.
County taxpayers absorb the loss on under-selling parcels.
Mentions & discussions (4)
Government Operations Committee - Regular Meeting — September 8, 2026
The county sold 16 foreclosed parcels at auction and will execute quitclaim deeds. One small Ithaca parcel sold for so little the county took a loss, and the county attorney said there's no direct way to recover it from the former owner — an Albany problem, members agreed.
Tompkins County Legislature - Regular Meeting — May 5, 2026
Counties must front unpaid school, town, and village taxes — often 5-8 times the county's own share — for years before foreclosure. With a pending Supreme Court case possibly raising the bar, the Legislature voted 13-2 to ask the state to become the guarantor instead. Critics worried the ask was too ambitious.
Government Operations Committee - Regular Meeting — April 14, 2026
State law forces the county to pay school districts, towns, and villages even when property owners don't pay their taxes — and the county often can't recoup that money when foreclosed properties sell for less than what's owed. A pending Supreme Court case could make it even worse. The committee wants the state to step in.
Budget, Capital, and Personnel Committee - Regular Meeting — April 13, 2026
Counties must make schools, towns, and villages whole for unpaid property taxes while foreclosure cases wind through years of process — and a pending Supreme Court case could make it worse.
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