County treasurer explains tax lien letters

Flathead County residents recently have been inundated with letters from a private holding company attempting to purchase tax liens on properties.

As a result, the Flathead County Treasurer’s Office has been flooded with phone calls from property owners, many of whom are paid in full.

“The last three days, all we’ve been doing is answering phone calls,” Flathead County Treasurer Adele Krantz said.

The Daily Inter Lake has been contacted by two people who received these letters and were alarmed. The letters shared with the Inter Lake say, in capital letters, “THIS COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF YOUR PROPERTY LISTED BELOW.”

Rosemary Deering, a Woodland Avenue resident, said in an email that she rushed home to check her tax documents after receiving the letter. She also consulted the county Treasurer’s Office to verify she was current on her taxes, which was the case.

The residents thought this might be a scam. But Krantz said this is a legal procedure by a real company.

“They’re valid and they’re legit,” she said. “It’s just that there are several of them that went out.”

She’s referring to a large amount of letters that have gone out to area residents in a short period.

The letters come from REO Holdings, LLC, which lists a post-office box in Great Falls. The company is able to bid to purchase tax liens on delinquent properties in July, according to Krantz.

Several companies and individuals have been purchasing most of the delinquent tax liens because Flathead County is a desirable place to own land.

The problem is that some people, such as Deering, received the letter despite being paid up on taxes.

Krantz said it could have been a timing issue, such as REO Holdings marking certain properties just before a payment is made or records are updated. As a result, the Treasurer’s Office has been fielding scores of calls from property owners checking up on their taxes.

If a resident is current on taxes, there shouldn’t be a problem with REO Holdings, she said.

“A lot of them have paid, and so then the independent companies are out of the picture,” she said.

She added that even if the company purchases a lien on a delinquent property, there are still channels for the owner to pay their taxes within a certain time period.

For questions about county property taxes, contact the tax department at 758-5680.

Reporter Matt Hudson may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mhudson@dailyinterlake.com.