The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-10-04
EXPLANATION OF
STATE TAX LAW
PROVISIONS RELATIVE TO COL
LECTION OF TAXES AND
PROCEDURE WHICH is
FOIL ED.

The system OF collection of state
and county taxes is but vaguely un-
derstood by many whose ownership
of property would tend TO create the
presumption of a fair amount of
knowledge of the subject, say county
officials attorneys an dothers quail
fed to know whereof they speak
State and county taxes are due and
payable for any calendar year on the
first of December of that year. and
may be paid up to the tenth of Janu-
airy next following. From the LIST to
the 18th of March such taxes Of the
previous year as remain upaid are re-
turned by the city and township treas
urers To the county treasurer as de-
linquent, and. dating from March l,
interest of l per cent per month Is
added as penalty to the amount of the
tax, plus an added per cent of the
original tax as collection fee.
Acting as the agent of the state, the
county treasurer offers for sale at
public auction, on the first Tuesday in
Nav Of the year following that I'm
which the taxes are reported as delin-
quent. all such descriptions as remain
unpaid by the holders of record title.
one Of the interesting facts in connec-
ton with this sale is that those who
attend must bid down on the land.
rather than up on the price of IL, and
the only amount which can be receiv-
ed by the treasurer as purchase price
for the property is the sum of accrued
tax and accumulated interest charges,
together with the collection fee and
costs of salt. This being the case. ii
frequently happens that several bid
ders will in succession offer the total
amount required to satisfy the laws |
demand, each one however basing his /
property in question.
Bidding on Small Fractions.
BY way of illustration. the practice |
of bidders has been about as follows: |
Upon the offering of a description of
property by the county treasurer act |
ing as auctioneer. one man shouts that |
for the entire parcel. Another will Of
fer the same amount for an undivided |
one-half of the description, another
for an undivided one-quarter of it,
and so on down. the amount remaining |
the same, but the fractional /
portion of the land being reduced i'm
each instance. This has sometimes (
been carried to extremes. and in some
instances rival bidders have agreed to
pay the taxes due for a one millionth
or less interest I'm the property.
The purchaser of n tax title from the
county treasurer, acting as the agent
of the state. does not acquire immed-
date possession of the property cover
ed by the description, as the law gives
the former owner one year in which to
redeem IL. In order to do this, the
person seeking to effect redemption
must pay the county treasurer the
original tax. the accrued interest at |
per cent per month and the advertis-
ing fee At the expiration of a year
from the date of the sale at which the
was bid in, the state issues
TO the holder OF the tax title a state
tax deed and within six months after
receiving this he must give notice to
the former holder of the record title,
the law permitting the latter further
period of redemption of six months
after receiving such notice. in which I
to pay 100 per cent plus IS per de-
scription and costs. This notice is ,
preferably given by personal service F.,
through the sherffs office. although I
II may be had by the mailing of a re-
sistered letter addressed to the last I
known residence of the former holder {
Of title. or by newspaper publication. &
Should he fail to take advantage of I
his final opportunity for redemption, G
ne is deemed to have lost what is {
Known as "his day in court" and his 8
interest becomes only that of any 9TH d
n individual. 1t is apparent that n (
ear or even more time may elapse s
lfter. the auction sale by the county q
reasurer before the original holder Il
II the title finally forfeits all chance =
o re-acquire IT, The intent of the Il
tate is to afford every reasonable OPP s
'ortunity for the redemption of real g
y, title TO which is jeopardized \