A new state law requires all prospective bidders to register with the Crawford County Tax Claim Bureau’s tax fraud and judicial sales at least 10 days in advance.
Pennsylvanias Act 33 of 2021 went into effect in June and comes into effect on August 31.
According to Christine Krzysiak, the office’s director, all bidders must register for the tax-free sale of the office on September 24th by September 14th. Every September the office conducts sales of properties with unpaid property taxes from three years ago or older.
The office is located in the district treasurer’s office in the courthouse at 903 Diamond Park, Meadville.
The new law also authorizes a county to set a registration fee for bidders. At their August 11th meeting, the district officials approved a filing fee of $ 10 for each bidder to cover the cost of the office.
A bidder registration form must be submitted for registration.
In the case of a natural person, the name, address and telephone number of the applicant are required. A company requires the company name, names of all officers, business address, and telephone number. An LLC or limited liability company requires the names, business addresses, and telephone numbers of all members, managers, and other persons with ownership interests or rights in the limited liability company.
The bidder must submit an affidavit stating that the applicant is not in arrears with the payment of the property tax and that there are no public utility bills outstanding for more than a year; does not make a bid for a person or act as an intermediary for a person who is excluded from participating in the sale; and has not committed or permitted an uncorrected violation of the Housing Code, has not maintained property in an appropriate manner so that the property poses a threat to health, safety or property, or has permitted the use of property in an unsafe, illegal or unsanitary manner, such as that the property poses a health, safety or property hazard.
All forms must be submitted to the office by the registration deadline, which is announced prior to each sale.
The new law requires the office to provide municipalities with a list of registered bidders 10 days before each sale, Krzysiak said.
“It is up to the municipalities to look at them and see if there are any outstanding issues – such as outstanding water bills, property demolitions, a municipal lien,” she said. “The $ 10 fee covers paperwork handling costs and our time.”
The bidder registration form is required for registration; a copy of the photo ID; a signed and notarized affidavit from the bidder; a copy of the terms of sale and instructions; and a $ 10 non-refundable registration fee in certified funds only. Certified funds are a certified check, cashier’s check, money order, or cash.
According to the new state law, anyone who signs a bidder registration knowing that it contains false information will be prosecuted by the authorities for falsification, which is a second-degree administrative offense.
If you have any questions, please call the office at (814) 333-7332 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or visit the office.
Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at [email protected].