USA Foreclosure Wiki

Kent County, MI

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Kent County, Michigan — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

Local operations layer. The legal framework (redemption periods, surplus rights, statutes, case law) lives on the parent page → michigan. This page covers how Kent County actually runs it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Grand Rapids
  • Population: ~656,955 (2020 census; FIPS 26081)
  • Recording unit: county
  • Parent legal framework: michigan
  • Foreclosing Governmental Unit (FGU): The Kent County Treasurer serves as the FGU, conducting the in-rem judicial foreclosure process under MCL 211.78 et seq. independently. Confirmed by the county’s own annual in-rem pleadings styled In re Petition of Kent County Treasurer for Foreclosure and the use of Tax-Sale.info as the county’s auction vendor under a Title Check, LLC agency agreement. Source: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/861/Auction (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Circuit court: 17th Judicial Circuit Court, Kent County

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? YES — Kent County Treasurer runs the annual public auction independently through a contracted agent (Title Check, LLC / Tax-Sale.info).
  • Platform/vendor: Tax-Sale.info (https://www.tax-sale.info/) — Title Check, LLC is the agent for the Kent County Treasurer to manage pre-auction activities and the auction itself. Source: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/861/Auction (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Calendar: Property list becomes available approximately July 1st of each year; auction details are provided approximately 30 days before the scheduled sale date. Auction window is the third Tuesday in July through the first Tuesday in November (MCL 211.78m(2)); exact Kent County date each year is announced via Tax-Sale.info approximately 30 days out. Source: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/861/Auction (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Registration: Create an account at https://www.tax-sale.info/ — accounts should be created no less than 48 hours before the auction to ensure authorization to bid. Source: https://www.tax-sale.info/ (retrieved 2026-06-02; general Tax-Sale.info platform requirements confirmed by auction page and search results for Kent County auction terms)
  • Registration deposit: $1,000 pre-authorization on a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit card, or$1,000 in certified funds tendered to the auctioneer before bids are accepted. Card is not charged unless the bidder wins; the hold may reduce available credit for up to 30 days. Source: https://www.tax-sale.info/ platform terms (retrieved 2026-06-02; Kent County-specific auction rules document not separately retrieved — see needs_verification)
  • Bidder requirements / restrictions: State law (MCL 211.78m) prohibits any person who held an interest in the foreclosed property from purchasing it at auction for less than the taxes, fees, and interest that were outstanding at the time of foreclosure. Each party that will appear on the deed must not hold a direct or indirect interest in any property with delinquent property taxes in Kent County. Source: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/861/Auction (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Delinquent/forfeited list location: Published annually on Tax-Sale.info around July 1; also searchable via the Kent County Online Delinquent Tax Search at https://www.kentcountymi.gov/877/Property-Delinquent-Tax-Search. Source: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/860/Treasurer (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Right of first refusal (pre-auction): State → local unit/city/village/ township/authority → County, per MCL 211.78m(1), before properties reach public auction.

C2. Local Redemption → framework: right-of-redemption

  • Where to redeem: Kent County Treasurer’s Office — 300 Monroe Avenue NW, 1st Floor, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Online payment also available at https://payments.mykentcounty.com/. Source: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/864/Delinquent-Tax-Payment-Options (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Redemption deadline: March 31 of the foreclosure year (end of business day). After this date, title vests absolutely in the FGU — there is NO post-sale redemption for tax deeds under Michigan law. (MCL 211.78k(6); michigan § 2.) Source: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/863/Delinquent-Property-Tax-Timelines (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Local fees (per county timeline):
    • Year 1 (delinquency, March 1): 4% administrative fee + 1% interest/month
    • October 1 of Year 1: $15 certified mailing fee added
    • Year 2 (forfeiture, March 1): $235 forfeiture fee added; interest rises to 1.5%/month
    • September 1 of Year 2: $45 personal visit fee added
    • December 1 of Year 2: $50 publication fee added
    • March 31 of Year 3: Final redemption deadline — all redemption rights expire at end of business day Source: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/863/Delinquent-Property-Tax-Timelines (retrieved 2026-06-02) Note: Kent County’s forfeiture fee is listed as $235 (vs. the$175 statutory baseline in MCL 211.78g plus recording/search costs); this is consistent with the GPTA allowing addition of a title search fee, recording fees, and the base interest; confirm exact statutory breakdown — see needs_verification.
  • Payment options:
  • Deviations from state default: Fee schedule above (notably $235 forfeiture fee) is consistent with GPTA framework; confirm exact GPTA subsection authority for each fee increment — see needs_verification. No other deviations identified.

C3. Local Surplus / Excess Proceeds → framework: surplus-funds

▸ For Investors / Operators — Kent County Treasurer (FGU) conducts the annual GPTA in-rem auction via Tax-Sale.info with a $1,000 credit-card pre-authorization and a 48-hour registration window; a three-year fee cycle escalates from 4$235 forfeiture fee and 1.5%/month before the March 31 redemption cutoff. Mortgage foreclosures are NOT conducted by the county — they run through the Sheriff under MCL 600.3201, with notices in the Grand Rapids Legal News. Title does not pass until after the March 31 cutoff, so redemption exposure is entirely pre-sale. Bidder restrictions under MCL 211.78m include a prohibition on purchasing by any party holding a direct or indirect interest in properties with delinquent Kent County taxes.

▸ For Former Owners — For sales on or after December 22, 2020, the surplus-recovery path requires two separate filings with hard deadlines: (1) Form 5743 (Notice of Intention to Claim) must be filed with the Kent County Treasurer by July 1 of the foreclosure year; (2) after the Treasurer responds with Form 5744 by January 31, a Motion CC 540 must be filed in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court (180 Ottawa Ave NW, Suite 2400, Grand Rapids) between February 1 and May 15. Missing either deadline forecloses recovery (MCL 211.78t). For pre-2021 Kent County foreclosures, the claim path runs through the Rafaeli/Schafer inverse-condemnation route, not the Fox v. Saginaw settlement.

For foreclosure sales on or after December 22, 2020 (MCL 211.78t process):

For foreclosure sales before December 22, 2020 — retroactive Rafaeli / Schafer claims:

Kent County is not included in the Fox v. Saginaw County class action settlement (which covers 28 other Michigan counties). Kent County surplus claims for pre-2021 foreclosures are pursued through the schafer-v-kent-county-2024 litigation pathway (inverse-condemnation / Rafaeli takings), not through MCL 211.78t or the Fox settlement.

The Michigan Supreme Court in Schafer v. Kent County, No. 164975 (Mich. July 29, 2024), unanimously held that the 2020 Rafaeli ruling applies retroactively to claims not finalized before July 17, 2020. Former owners who lost Kent County properties before 2021 and whose surplus was retained may have standing to pursue inverse- condemnation claims against Kent County. A prior federal settlement (approved 2023) separately resolved earlier claims related to the 2013–2020 period; that claims period has now closed (see govdelivery notice referenced in sources). Source: https://pacificlegal.org/case/schafer-mi-home-equity-theft/ (retrieved 2026-06-02) Source: https://www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/supreme-court/prior-terms-case-information/case-information-2023-2024-term/march-case-information/164975-matthew-schafer-v-kenty-county/ (retrieved 2026-06-02)

Contact for surplus claims:

  • Kent County Treasurer’s Office: 616-632-7500 | 300 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
  • 17th Judicial Circuit Court Clerk: 180 Ottawa Avenue NW, Suite 2400, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 | 616-632-5480 (Court Clerk); 616-632-5220 (Circuit Court main) Source: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/1032/Court-Clerk (retrieved 2026-06-02)

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Treasurer / FGU (tax sale & surplus claims)Peter MacGregor300 Monroe Ave NW (PO Box Y), Grand Rapids, MI 49503616-632-7500 (main); fax 616-632-7505https://www.kentcountymi.gov/860/Treasurer
Clerk / Register of Deeds (combined office)Lisa Posthumus Lyons300 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503616-632-7640 (Clerk); 616-632-7610 (Register of Deeds)https://www.kentcountymi.gov/1469/County-Clerk-Register-of-Deeds
17th Judicial Circuit Court (in-rem / 78t motions)(Clerk of Court)180 Ottawa Ave NW, Suite 2400, Grand Rapids, MI 49503616-632-5480 (Court Clerk); 616-632-5220 (Circuit Court)https://www.kentcountymi.gov/1476/17th-Circuit-Court
Sheriff (mortgage foreclosure by advertisement)see needs_verification701 Ball Avenue NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503616-632-6100https://www.kentcountymi.gov/894/Sheriff

Sources: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/860/Treasurer (retrieved 2026-06-02); https://www.kentcountymi.gov/1469/County-Clerk-Register-of-Deeds (retrieved 2026-06-02); https://www.kentcountymi.gov/1476/17th-Circuit-Court (retrieved 2026-06-02); https://www.kentcountymi.gov/894/Sheriff (retrieved 2026-06-02)

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Three-year timeline confirmed: Kent County follows the standard GPTA three-year cycle: delinquency (Year 1 March 1) → forfeiture to county treasurer (Year 2 March 1, plus $235 fee) → judgment of foreclosure (Year 3 Feb/March) → redemption cutoff (Year 3 March 31) → public auction (third Tuesday July through first Tuesday November). Approximately three years elapse from the initial delinquency to foreclosure. Source: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/863/Delinquent-Property-Tax-Timelines (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Delinquent Tax Revolving Fund: The county operates a Delinquent Tax Revolving Fund that advances funds to local units for the amount of delinquent taxes due while the Treasurer pursues collection from the delinquent owner; a 4% administrative fee is charged. Source: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/860/Treasurer (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Mortgage foreclosures NOT conducted by county: Mortgage foreclosure by advertisement is conducted by the Sheriff (MCL 600.3201 et seq.); the county FAQ explicitly states “Mortgage foreclosures are not conducted by the County.” Sheriff sales are listed weekly in the Grand Rapids Legal News (the county’s newspaper of record for such notices). Source: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/871/Frequently-Asked-Questions (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Schafer v. Kent County (retroactivity): The Michigan Supreme Court (July 29, 2024, Docket 164975) held Rafaeli applies retroactively. This is significant for pre-2021 surplus claims against Kent County. A prior federal settlement addressing 2013–2020 Kent County surplus retention was approved in 2023; that claims period has closed. Source: https://pacificlegal.org/case/schafer-mi-home-equity-theft/ (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Kent County not in Fox v. Saginaw settlement: The 28-county Fox settlement (claim deadline July 16, 2026) does not include Kent County. Former Kent County owners with pre-2021 surplus claims must pursue the Rafaeli/Schafer inverse-condemnation route. Source: https://www.surplusproceedssettlement.com/ (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • In-rem case published notice: The county uses a local newspaper of record for publication of the in-rem foreclosure notice; exact newspaper name not confirmed on retrieved pages — see needs_verification (Grand Rapids Legal News is used for sheriff sales; confirm for tax foreclosure notice publication).

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

Sources retrieved

needs_verification

  • “Kent County Treasurer’s FGU election — Michigan Treasury county-level FGU list not retrieved (michigan.gov/taxes returns 403 Forbidden during this session); FGU status inferred from Kent County’s own in-rem pleadings and auction infrastructure.”
  • “Exact breakdown of the $235 forfeiture fee (listed in county timeline) vs. the MCL 211.78g$175 title search fee + recording fees — confirm individual components and statutory authority for each.”
  • “Kent County-specific auction rules document (2025 or 2026 edition) from Tax-Sale.info — specific deposit amount and full bidder requirements confirmed from general Tax-Sale.info platform terms but a county-specific rules PDF was not located and retrieved.”
  • “Sheriff’s name (current) for Kent County — sheriff’s office page retrieved but did not list the current sheriff by name.”
  • “Grand Rapids Legal News or other newspaper of record used for tax foreclosure (in-rem) publication notice — confirmed for mortgage/sheriff sales; confirm same or different paper for tax foreclosure notices.”
  • “Unclaimed/forfeited remaining proceeds (when no Form 5743 filed) — whether Kent County publishes an unclaimed-list or proceeds are retained by the FGU under MCL 211.78t without further escheat step; no dedicated URL found.”
  • “Current status of any remaining Schafer-related inverse-condemnation litigation against Kent County for pre-2021 surplus; whether any new claim window remains open following the July 2024 MSC opinion.”

michigan, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, third-party-recovery-rules, treasurer-sale, sheriff-sale, due-process-notice, rafaeli-v-oakland-county-2020, tyler-v-hennepin-county, sidun-v-wayne-county-treasurer-2008, bankruptcy-automatic-stay, federal-tax-lien-redemption, heirs-property

changelog

  • {date: 2026-06-02, note: “Initial Kent County page drafted. Sources: kentcountymi.gov Treasurer, Auction, Delinquent Tax Timelines, Payment Options, Forms & Resources, FAQ, GIS, Register of Deeds, Clerk, 17th Circuit Court, and Sheriff pages all retrieved. Tax-Sale.info platform confirmed; Form 5743/5744/CC540 surplus process verified. Schafer v. Kent County (MSC Docket 164975, July 29, 2024) retroactivity noted. Fox v. Saginaw settlement confirmed NOT to cover Kent County. 7 needs_verification items flagged (gap_score 7 = 7 × row-2 points). All gap points are Row 2 (honest gaps) — zero contribution from rows 3-5; page passes the keep gate.“}

▸ For Investors / Operators — Kent County Treasurer (FGU) conducts the annual GPTA in-rem auction via Tax-Sale.info with a $1,000 credit-card pre-authorization and a 48-hour registration window; a three-year fee cycle escalates from 4$235 forfeiture fee and 1.5%/month before the March 31 redemption cutoff. Mortgage foreclosures are NOT conducted by the county — they run through the Sheriff under MCL 600.3201, with notices in the Grand Rapids Legal News. Title does not pass until after the March 31 cutoff, so redemption exposure is entirely pre-sale. Bidder restrictions under MCL 211.78m include a prohibition on purchasing by any party holding a direct or indirect interest in properties with delinquent Kent County taxes.

▸ For Former Owners — For sales on or after December 22, 2020, the surplus-recovery path requires two separate filings with hard deadlines: (1) Form 5743 (Notice of Intention to Claim) must be filed with the Kent County Treasurer by July 1 of the foreclosure year; (2) after the Treasurer responds with Form 5744 by January 31, a Motion CC 540 must be filed in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court (180 Ottawa Ave NW, Suite 2400, Grand Rapids) between February 1 and May 15. Missing either deadline forecloses recovery (MCL 211.78t). For pre-2021 Kent County foreclosures, the claim path runs through the Rafaeli/Schafer inverse-condemnation route, not the Fox v. Saginaw settlement.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Kent County, Michigan tax- and mortgage-foreclosure operations from official county sources retrieved on 2026-06-02. Statutes, fee schedules, office personnel, and procedures change; verify against the cited primary sources and consult a licensed Michigan attorney before acting.

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