Plumas County faces a challenge after a failure to notify property owners about overdue taxes before selling their land at auction.
County Treasurer-Tax Collector Julie White admitted she did not send required notices to eight property owners, including the owner of parcel No. 122-070-023.
This oversight means the county must undo sales already made and offer the original owners a chance to pay their back taxes.
Some parcels were sold to new buyers, leading to a complex situation. The county board discussed how reversing the sales affects both the buyers and the original owners.
Buyers stand to lose their investment if the sales are rescinded, but the county is bound by California law to give delinquent owners proper notice before auctioning their property.
The rescission process requires approval from the board of supervisors and consent from the purchasers. After rescission, original owners will have another opportunity to settle their tax debts.
If they fail to pay, the properties will return to auction.
Treasurer White must complete several notification steps before requesting the board’s formal approval to rescind the sales.
This case raises questions about how the county will handle compensation for buyers who purchased property in good faith and how it will prevent similar errors in the future.
