A foreclosure is a lawsuit against the property with certified delinquent property taxes. This lawsuit is filed on behalf of the county treasurer to retrieve the delinquent taxes owed on the property.

Cuyahoga County collects property taxes on behalf of municipalities, school districts, libraries and various important health and human service programming. These entities rely on property tax to support their operations as a primary or secondary source of revenue. The foreclosure process allows the County to recoup delinquent taxes on a property in order to continue funding for these services, and helps to reduce the risks for vacant property crime.

The process is handled either through judicial review or the Cuyahoga County Board of Revision.

In a judicial review, title work is completed and the addresses of the owners are verified. Service must be perfected, meaning that the owners have to receive notice of the foreclosure. There is a motion to schedule a hearing date, which can be held within 90 and 180 days of the process. The case is heard by a magistrate, who will render a decision within two weeks.

In a Board of Revision hearing, the steps are the same, however it is an expedited process. This process is typically for abandoned properties and vacant lots.

If you find yourself in a foreclosure situation, please reach out to the Cuyahoga County Treasury Department. If a property owner is on an active delinquent tax payment plan, and currently making on-time payments as well as paying the current taxes on the property, a foreclosure can be mitigated. While the property owner will still accrue prosecutors fees and court costs, the home will not be subjected to a sheriff's sale.

To set up a delinquent tax payment plan, please call the Treasury Department at 216-443-7400 to speak with one of the tax services specialists.

There are several steps in the foreclosure process. The Prosecutor’s office is responsible for handling the foreclosure process. To learn more information, please visit them at https://cp.cuyahogacounty.us/court-resources/local-rules/.

If you find that you are having trouble making your tax payments twice yearly, sign up for EasyPay, our pre-payment tax escrow program to pay your current taxes monthly in advance. Are you already delinquent? Sign up for a delinquent tax payment plan as well as EasyPay to pay both your delinquent and current taxes simultaneously. The Treasury Department wants to help you. Give us a call at 216-443-7400 and speak with one of our Property Tax Customer Representatives to learn more.