Marion County Indiana Tax Sale ((install)) Today

The house at 2143 Barnsley Street was flashing on her screen. Red brick, a collapsed porch, and three years of unpaid property taxes totaling $4,700. For Martha, a 67-year-old former schoolteacher on a fixed income, this wasn’t an investment. It was a gamble.

In Marion County, you don’t buy the house. You buy the debt . You pay the back taxes. In return, you get a tax lien certificate. If the owner doesn’t pay you back with 15% interest within one year, you can foreclose and take the deed. marion county indiana tax sale

The screen refreshed. A corporation called “Hoosier REI Group 3” had outbid her by $200. Then another flipper from Carmel. The price climbed to $7,200. Then $9,500. Martha watched her future evaporate. The house at 2143 Barnsley Street was flashing on her screen

That night, she drove past 2143 Barnsley. A blue tarp covered a hole in the roof. A child’s bicycle lay in the weeds. She didn’t knock. She just whispered, “Pay your taxes, Terrance. Please.” It was a gamble