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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.18.26 Board Correspondence - FW_ Urgent help with property currently scheduled for tax-defaulted sale.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening attachments, clicking on links, or replying.. From:Clerk of the Board To:Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill; Cook, Holly; Cook, Robin; Durfee, Peter; Jessee, Meegan; Kimmelshue, Tod; Kitts, Melissa; Krater, Sharleen; Lee, Lewis; Little, Melissa; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.; Sweeney, Kathleen; Teeter, Doug; Zepeda, Elizabeth Cc:DSCodeEnforcement; Kidd, Troy; Daneluk, Paula; Taggart, Kevin; Cannon, Jamie Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Urgent help with property currently scheduled for tax-defaulted sale Date:Monday, May 18, 2026 4:12:28 PM Attachments:image001.png Please see Board Correspondence - Lewis LeeAdministrative Technician - ConfidentialButte County Administration25 County Center Drive, Suite 200 • Oroville, CA 95965T: 530.552.3326www.buttecounty.ca.gov | lelee@buttecounty.ca.gov From: Aaron Colwell <aaroncolwell87@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, May 18, 2026 3:35 PM To: Teeter, Doug <DTeeter@buttecounty.ca.gov> Cc: TRSTax <trstax@buttecounty.ca.gov>; Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.ca.gov>; DSCodeEnforcement <DSCodeEnforcement@buttecounty.ca.gov> Subject: Re: Urgent help with property currently scheduled for tax-defaulted sale Hello Supervisor Teeter and County staff, CC: Treasurer-Tax Collector, Code Enforcement, Clerk of the Board Thank you for helping point me in the right direction and for taking the time to review this. I spoke with Mr. Kidd by phone today. He explained that the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s position is that the full redemption amount must be paid by June 4, 2026, and that he does not believe the situation qualifies for penalty relief, review, or compromise through his office. He also referred me to Code Enforcement regarding the code enforcement lien/fine. I understand Mr. Kidd is likely very busy, and I also understand that the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office may be limited to following the normal redemption and tax-sale process. However, during the call, Mr. Kidd mentioned that he had only glanced over my email and had not printed out or reviewed the records/attachments I sent. He also stated that he did not see any taxes paid on the property, even though I provided records showing that myself and the probate estate have made multiple tax payments. From what I can tell, the later tax years have either been paid or partially addressed through those payments, and the main unresolved issue appears to be the 2018/19 default account, which is listed separately in the notes section of the tax bill as Default #DEF19001899. That is why I am concerned the records and payment history may not have been fully reviewed yet. The 2018/19 default appears to be the core issue. During probate, the estate understood that the property taxes were being paid while the code enforcement lien/fine would remain separate. It now appears that part of the code enforcement fine had already been added into the 2018/19 tax-default account, meaning the base property taxes may not have been separable from the code enforcement charge. That may explain why the estate believed the taxes were handled, while the county still shows the property in default. I understand that the tax-default process itself may be standard from the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s side. My concern is that there are additional probate and code enforcement circumstances that may need review by another department or someone with authority to consider compromise, settlement, or postponement. I am asking for help getting this routed to the appropriate department or person with authority beyond the normal redemption process, especially if compromise or settlement authority rests outside the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office. If Mr. Kidd has the authority, I am hoping he can give the records and payment history a more detailed second look before the June 4 redemption deadline and June 5 auction date. If the Tax Collector’s Office does not have authority to consider compromise, settlement, or postponement, I am asking for help routing this to County Counsel, Code Enforcement, or whoever does have that authority. Because of the short timeline and the complexity of the issue, I would appreciate clarification and responses in writing by email so there is a clear record of what has been reviewed and what options are available. Thank you again for your time and help. .ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening attachments, clicking on links, or replying.. Aaron Colwell APN: 058-160-070-000 Property: 13135 Jordan Hill Rd, Concow, CA Phone: 530-680-8005 Mailing Address: 952 N Butte St, Willows, CA On Mon, May 18, 2026, 10:05 AM Teeter, Doug <DTeeter@buttecounty.ca.gov> wrote: Morning, I’ve reached out to Troy Kidd, Treasurer Tax Collector as this falls under his office. He stated he’ll reach out to you. His office number is 530-552-3720 Doug Get Outlook for iOS From: Aaron Colwell <aaroncolwell87@gmail.com> Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2026 7:15:31 PM To: Teeter, Doug <DTeeter@buttecounty.ca.gov> Subject: Re: Urgent help with property currently scheduled for tax-defaulted sale Hello Supervisor Teeter and County staff, I wanted to add one clarification to my previous email after reviewing the default bill I received in the mail today. After talking with my sister, Lottie Pearse, who was the executor/personal representative of the estate and reviewing the documents, it appears the reason the 2018 default was not paid during probate may be because the county had already added part of the old code enforcement fine to the 2018/19 tax bill/default account. The Tax Collector’s Office stated that a Code Enforcement charge in the original amount of $4,438.10 was added to the 2018 tax year, and the 2018 default amount appears to include that charge. During probate, my sister understood that she was supposed to pay the property taxes but not the code enforcement fine/lien. However, if the $4,438.10 Code Enforcement charge had already been combined with the 2018/19 tax default, then it may not have been possible to pay only the base property taxes for that year without also paying that Code Enforcement charge. That may explain why she and the probate attorney believed the taxes had been handled, while the county still shows the property in tax- default status. This is why I am asking for the matter to be reviewed before the June 5 auction. I am trying to resolve the tax-default issue, but redeeming the property alone may not solve the larger problem if the remaining code enforcement lien/fine of approximately $60,000 continues to stay attached to the property. The property was destroyed in the Camp Fire, has not been rebuilt, and the lien/fines may now be more than the property is worth. I am asking whether the county would consider a global resolution before the auction date, including review of the tax-default balance and possible compromise, reduction, or settlement of the larger code enforcement lien/fine. Otherwise, I could potentially redeem the property from tax sale and still be left with a lien that makes it very difficult or impossible to repair, permit, sell, finance or keep in the family. Please let me know who has authority to review this type of settlement or compromise request and whether the parcel can be postponed or removed from the June 5 auction while that review is pending. Thank you, Aaron Colwell APN: 058-160-070-000 Property: 13135 Jordan Hill Rd, Concow, CA Phone: 530-680-8005 Mailing Address: 952 N Butte St, Willows, CA On Thu, May 14, 2026, 4:14 PM Aaron Colwell <aaroncolwell87@gmail.com> wrote: Hello Supervisor Teeter, (CC: Butte County Clerk of the Board, Treasurer-Tax Collector, Development Services / Code Enforcement) My name is Aaron Colwell. I’m reaching out for help regarding APN 058-160-070- 000, located at 13135 Jordan Hill Rd in Concow. The property is currently scheduled for tax-defaulted sale beginning June 5, 2026, with the redemption deadline listed as June 4, 2026. This was my mother’s property and it was transferred to me through probate after she passed away. During probate I was advised by my sister and our probate attorney that the back property taxes had been paid and that the only remaining issue was an old code enforcement lien. I was also told the county had reassured them that as long as the taxes were paid, then the lien would stay attached to the property but would not become an issue unless the property was sold or a permit was needed. I recently found out the property is still scheduled for tax sale. I contacted the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office and was told the remaining amount due is $15,183.12 if paid by May 31, 2026, or $15,277.14 if paid by June 4, 2026. I was also told the default includes delinquent taxes from multiple years along with a Code Enforcement charge added to the 2018 tax year in the original amount of $4,438.10. This is different from what I understood during probate so I have asked for a full itemized ledger/payment history to understand what was paid, what remains unpaid, how payments were applied and how the current redemption amount was calculated. The home on the property was destroyed in the 2018 Camp Fire and has not been rebuilt. The property is worth significantly less than it was before the fire and the outstanding fines/lien are now more than the property is worth. I am trying to keep the property in our family and avoid losing it at auction. The old code enforcement issue involved a cannabis violation that happened just before the Camp Fire. My understanding is that the larger lien amount reached approximately $60,000 because the county assessed $1,000 per day while my mother and her collective waited for the hearing date. She contested the violation in good faith but the county upheld it. After that she complied quickly and had the property inspected and cleared. I’m hoping your office can help me figure out who can review this before the auction date. I am trying to find out: 1. Whether the parcel can be postponed or removed from the June 5 auction while the matter is reviewed; 2. Receive a full itemized accounting of the tax default, including taxes, code enforcement charges, penalties, interest, costs, and payments applied; 3. Process to review a possible compromise, reduction, or settlement of the code enforcement lien/assessment; 4. And who has authority to approve a postponement, compromise, or settlement. I am trying to resolve this before the sale date and would appreciate any help getting it reviewed by the right department before the auction deadline. I will provide the Notice of Sale, tax payment receipts and the Tax Collector email responsend. Please let me know the best next step. Thank you, Aaron Colwell 952 N Butte St Willows, CA 95988 530-680-8005 aaroncolwell87@gmail.com APN: 058-160-070-000 Property: 13135 Jordan Hill Rd, Concow, CA