A list of properties eligible for the October 8th property tax sale is now available. I checked it out myself and here is what I found.

The entire list of 3288 properties is showing a total delinquency County-wide of $21,233,304.89. Keep in mind this is also money that is NOT finding its way properly into the budgets of our schools and governments. So that means county wide our governments and schools are underfunded by over 21 million dollars.

When all properties are added up the single biggest tax deadbeat in LaPorte County appears to be the Lake County Trust Company. No idea who that is, but they have nearly 30 properties listed, with over $625,000 in unpaid taxes.

The biggest tax deadbeat right now in LaPorte County for a single property is the Clarion Inn. They owe $270,905 to LaPorte County for their location at 5820 Franklin.

The Marquette Mall ownership group has four properties on the list that total $354,880 in taxes that haven't been paid.

Ironically, even the City of Michigan City shows up on the spreadsheets with 3 properties totaling just over $6000, as does the LaPorte County Board of Commissioners for about $2300, and the town of Westville for nearly $20,000.

There are plenty of other recognizable names and businesses on the list as well. The list can be found at http://www.sri-taxsale.com/ by making a few clicks to find the 2015 LaPorte County spreadsheet.

The $21Million shortfall must be evaluated in context of the total tax receipts for any given year. I suspect that this is a large number for LaPorte Co., but it is not for a single year.

There may be an opportunity for the county to offer properties, if they are taken over by the county, to new tenants or business. It is a large number but it may represent an opportunity.

I saw a few names I recognized too that work for the City. Amazing we can be asked to pay more for the "deadbeats". I'm glad you totaled the whole amount too. The list was way too long and sad to bother with. I would think even if you collected half of this amount you could do quite a bit to help the city/county out.

The list does not include any liens, mortgages or remediation that may be associated with the properties.

Property owners still will have one year to pay their taxes with interest.

I've preregistered to bid and will need to hire an attorney in the event I become a successful lein holder to a property to handle any notices and draw up any closing papers.

Went to the tax sale this morning.

Did not get any of the properties I was interested in. My neighbors property that I wanted to acquire had already had the taxes paid in the last minute and was taken off the sale. I also bid on the property at 11th and Ohio St. caddy corner to the fire station but somebody else had bid me up so I let them have it.

Some of the properties in downtown Michigan City, out on the beach and some of the farmland in the county sold for big money.

Nowatzke's show steer farm on 200 N. went for $280,000 and another in the 700 block of Franklin sold for $280,000 as well.

Even though I did not get any property I found the process educational and interesting.

If I would have been a successful bidder a property I would have had to pay a $500.00 attorney fee and an additional $250.00 title search fee.

The way the economy is straddling the abyss lately, think you'll see even more upcoming tax sales.