State Tax Sale Opponents Win More Outside Support at High Court

Groups that support retirees, free markets, and tax limitations are backing two petitions asking the US Supreme Court to review laws in several states that don’t give homeowners the surplus proceeds from sales of property to settle tax debts.

Eleven briefs filed so far have urged the court to take up Kevin Fair’s petition challenging Nebraska’s law that allowed a private third party to seize his home worth $60,000 over a $588.21 tax deficiency, and Geraldine Tyler’s petition challenging Minnesota’s law that allowed Hennepin County to keep the full $40,000 tax sales price to satisfy $15,000 ...