Property tax sales threaten the American Dream for local homeowners

Gloria Gaynor, 91, has spent her life building the American Dream. Now, because of just $3,500 in overdue taxes, she is losing it all.

Gaynor, who has dementia, is confined to a hospital bed in the living room of the Upper Darby home she owned for nearly 25 years. The house is filled with knick-knacks, china cabinets and photos of her children and grandchildren. A sign hanging in the entryway reads: “May Blessings From Above Fall Upon This Home.”

But Gaynor and her home are still waiting for a much-needed blessing. Three years ago, Gaynor learned that Delaware County auctioned off her property at an upset sale, a method many local governments use to recover delinquent taxes. She is now being pushed out of the house she worked for decades to afford…

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