The Lead Off
- The Ohio Supreme Court will review a case challenging whether Cuyahoga County can keep surplus value from foreclosed homes
- Plaintiffs say their properties were worth far more than their unpaid tax debts
- The case could impact how counties handle tax foreclosure sales statewide
COLUMBUS, OHIO (WOWO) — The Ohio Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving Cuyahoga County’s property tax foreclosure process, where homeowners argue the county kept homes worth significantly more than their unpaid tax debts without returning the surplus value.
The case centers on three former homeowners who lost their properties after falling behind on property taxes ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars.
Property tax foreclosures at issue
Court records show Angelo Craig owed approximately $620 in unpaid property taxes before Cuyahoga County initiated foreclosure proceedings on his home. Similar actions were taken against Angela Taylor and Abraham David for tax debts of $4,655 and $3,384, respectively.
The plaintiffs are not challenging the legality of the foreclosures themselves. Instead, they argue that the county retained property value beyond what was needed to satisfy the tax debt…