Click here to search a database of the more than 3,000 properties in Elkhart County that are subject to auction because of delinquent property taxes.

Click here to download a PDF of the list of properties that will be part of the Real Property Tax Sale on Nov. 30.

BY CHRIS SERIO MARTIN

cmartin@etruth.com

ELKHART -- About triple the usual number of homeowners and businesses face losing their properties for failure to pay property taxes.

More than 3,000 Elkhart County properties with delinquent taxes or special assessments may be auctioned to the highest bidder at the Real Property Tax Sale starting Nov. 30.

If a property owner fails to pay delinquent taxes, the county government can auction a "Tax Certificate" on the property, which represents the taxes owed.

The list of residential and commercial properties for auction this November is unusually long, according to Larry Ernest, Elkhart County treasurer. The annual sale typically lists about 1,200 properties.

"Some of these people are in financial trouble," Ernest said.

The list as written includes about 3,200 properties, including homes, businesses and churches. The unpaid tax bills range from just north of $100 to thousands of dollars.

Ernest said his office notified property owners that they were delinquent in their taxes, first through certified letter and then by first-class mail. About 400 property owners on the list already have paid delinquent taxes and will not be included in the auction.

If property owners did not pay all the taxes due from 2007, to have been paid in 2008, or did not pay prior taxes, "That property is eligible for tax sale," he said.

In that way, the county is able to receive the property taxes it needs to pay for necessary county government and services, such as roads, law enforcement and the courts system.

Ernest said most of the properties in the sale do not carry mortgages. If there is a mortgage, usually the lending institution will step in and pay the taxes, he added.

Registration for the auction starts at 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 30, in room 103, 117 N. Second St. Bidding starts at 9 a.m.

The auction rules and the list of properties is provided by the county as a legal notice and is published in a special section of today's edition of The Elkhart Truth. Alongside those names and addresses are listed the estimated taxes owed by these property owners. The list is scheduled to run again on Oct. 30 and Nov. 6. A searchable list is available at etruth.com.