Ingram Celebrates Passage of Senate Bill 186

Today, state Senator Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati) celebrated the passage of Senate Bill 186, bipartisan legislation with state Senator Louis W. Blessing III (R-Colerain Township), which would require the payment of delinquent taxes before property is transferred.

“There are many pieces that we must address to fix the housing crisis here in Ohio,” said Ingram. “Senate Bill 186, is just one of those pieces that will give our county treasurers the tools to deal with the bad actors negatively impacting our housing market and ultimately our communities.”

Across our state, significant amounts of local properties owe delinquent taxes, and county treasurers across the region lack the tools under current state law to get people to pay back taxes before properties are sold and transferred. Although a county treasurer has the authority to create a payment plan with the delinquent individual, there is no law in place stopping that individual or company from buying the property back or buying another property for sale.

County treasurers have found that bad actors in real estate and real estate investment use this loophole to avoid taxation. The exploitation of this loophole results in many abandoned and blighted properties which in turn depress property values and discourage investment.

Senate Bill 186 will require all delinquent and current property taxes on real property to be paid before the property is sold or subdivided. Additionally, buyers at public auctions would be required to sign an affidavit that essentially declares they have no delinquent tax issues throughout the state.

“This legislation moves us in the right direction towards much-needed transparency and accountability when it comes to our housing market, here in Ohio,” said Ingram.

Senate Bill 186 will now be sent to the Ohio House of Representatives for consideration.