Sheriff: ‘Don’t Blame Me’ For Deed Transfer Backlog
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Deed Transfer Backlog
A major backlog threatens the delay of foreclosed homes. NBC 4 gets answers.
NBC 4
A major backlog at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office threatens to delay the sale of foreclosed homes to buyers trying to take advantage of an $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit that is set to expire November 30.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio—A major backlog at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office threatens to delay the sale of foreclosed homes to buyers trying to take advantage of an $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit that is set to expire November 30.
Boxes are stacked and deed transfer requests are piled up inside the office’s real estate division, where banks are looking to officially take ownership back from home owners who lost their homes in foreclosure.
Two weeks ago, the office’s four staffers were just getting to August deed transfers. With one week left in October, they are now beginning to tackle September requests following a Saturday of overtime work.
“This is something that’s not going to clear up overnight,“ said Sheriff Jim Karnes. “We don’t have a set budget for overtime for real estate because we’ve never had to do that before.“
The backlog has frustrated real estate agents and home buyers, including Allison Wenger, an NBC 4 employee trying to buy a foreclosed house in time to get the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit.
“That’s the reason we’re frustrated because we know that deadline is coming up and we really would like that money,“ Wenger said. “That $8,000, we could be spending it in Franklin County.“
Karnes said Wenger and other should not blame him for the backlog.
Instead, he blames legislators who changed state law last year to make the process more cumbersome, as well as attorneys who have made numerous paperwork errors.
“It’s not my problem. I did not create the bill. I did not create the backlog. It was created by the change in the bill, along with the attorneys that can’t get their paperwork right.“
While Wenger and other homebuyers sweat out the November 30 deadline, Karnes said he will request more overtime funding for staff to continue processing the backlog. But Karnes said if a foreclosure property does not clear his office in front of the deadline, the bank deserves blame for selling a home they technically do not own.
“How can a bank loan money to someone for property, make a deal to someone for property, to sell that they don’t have a title for,“ Karnes asked.
Karnes said training additional staff before next month’s deadline would take too much time. Asked if the properties that qualify for the tax credit could be prioritized to beat the deadline, Karnes was adamant in saying he would not do that, believing that it would be unfair to others waiting for their deed transfer to process through.
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Reader Reactions
Good. I’m glad these people won’t be able to take advantage of the tax credit OR buy someone else’s foreclosed home. It’s absolutely TERRIBLE that the banks create terrible loans that are impossible to pay (aka ARM loans, as most of the people who have lost their homes to foreclosure had) and then the government turns around and helps those banks out by kicking these people out of their homes and offering it up to the highest bidder to get a tax credit and live the easy life. Since this is a public forum, I’ll be conservative, but these people who aren’t getting their “deal” and are unhappy about it…I’m glad and I hope they continue to find disappointment in their endeavors of finding ways to profit over other people’s misfortunes.
actually the ORC does require the Sheriff’s office to file the deed within 14 days of reciept of the deed from the bank along with funds. He is blaming the banks for complying with their time frames set in the law which is to deliver the deed and funds to the Sheriff’s office within 30 days of confirmation being entered. It used to be that the banks would not send funds for months after confirmation. Now it is the Sheriff that is delaing the process in violation of the ORC. The main reason this law was passed was to let cities and counties identify property owners after the courts had confirmed sales.
Wow what an arrogant and not so bright sheriff we have in Franklin county.
Did he really say “don’t balme me… its not my problem”?
He is the typical politician. Point the balme at someone else.
First of all the banks don’t sell the homes or do loans for the homes that they do not have a leaglly transfered title. His ignorance to this shows that he does not have the knowledge that it takes to run this office.
Thus the anger from those waiting months to buy a home. They can not get a mortgage to buy the home because the Sheriffs office can’t get the work done in a timely fashion.
The tax credit was announced at the begining of the year and our wise sheriff is just now thinking about asking for overtime? This problem has existed throughout the better part of 2009.
Those awaiting on titles to be tranfered are in jeoporady of not only missing out on the tax credit but also of losing thousands more if their rates expire and te mortgage rates begin to go back up.
How about this idea, hire some of the people that have been laid off from Franlin county do the work. Even if you only create temporary positions that would create a job for now for someone willing to work. Creating much needed tax revenue in central Ohio.
Temps would not get benefits or time and a half wages to get the job done.
Anyone that misses out on their tax credit or gets a higher interest rate or worse yet no longer qualifies to buy that home because of changes in home buying guidelines or their ratios are too high because their rate went up do to the deed not being transferred in a timely manner, should remember the finger pointing and blame shifiting of this Sheriff Karnes.
I do know that the backlog is not my fault because I did not vote for him nor will I next time and this is just another good reason for me and the rest of Franklin county not to vote for Sheriff Karnes in the next election.
The Sheriff is right. The banks dont own them yet and there doing stuff illegal. The Whole country has lost its Morals. People are fighting with each other over different cable channels. Theres no Constitional reason for the ((forced health ))care.
This country is coming apart. We dont even have $8,000 to take off each house!Plus ((I saw this week barney frank)) is starting ideas up that got us in this mess. ((again! ))Wake up people.
This country is 100 trillion in Debt! (with medicare and Social security)*
I feel sorry for the sheriff. Hes got Morals and sees this country going down . Were Broke! Were broke. Its all tied to no jobs! Its been coming for years. All our probelms are related to this.Im ready to start picketing my self. IMPEACH CONGRESS. NO MORALS! GO by the constitution.! The future is very dark if we dont get new people in NOV 2010.
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