Former Products’ property faces foreclosure in 2016 for delinquent tax payments

Tecumseh Food Machinery & Equipment, LLC’s delinquent 2013 taxes are currently in forfeiture to the Lenawee County Treasurer’s Department. If the taxes aren’t paid by March 31, 2016, the property will be foreclosed upon and ownership would transfer to the county treasurer’s department, which could then sell it at a tax sale to recover delinquent taxes. Tecumseh Food Machinery & Equipment currently owes $172,159.13 to the county in delinquent tax payments, $82,426.97 of which is from 2013, according to the Lenawee County Treasure’s Department assessing website. On Thursday, July 9, 2015, Lenawee County District Judge Jonathan Poer issued an order to show cause to Tecumseh Food Machinery & Equipment as to why it and its principal David Roberts should not be held in civil contempt of court for failure to comply with a June 26 order. The order issued was to eliminate the noxious weeds/grass at the former Tecumseh Products Company property and to bring the property into compliance with the City of Tecumseh zoning ordinances within 10 days of June 26. That did not happened. Roberts, and subsequently Tecumseh Food Machinery & Equipment, must appear back in front of Judge Poer in courtroom 105 on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 8:15 a.m. to show cause for failing to comply. In Judge Poer’s order, he also ruled the City of Tecumseh could enter Tecumseh Food Machinery & Equipment’s property, cut the grass to bring the property into compliance with city ordinances and place the costs of doing so on the tax rolls of the property. The order allows the city entry into fenced areas of the real property by the least intrusive means necessary to fulfill the order, which could include, but isn’t limited to, the cutting of locks securing fencing. The city must ensure all property is secured thereafter if locks are removed. The city can also place costs and legal fees as a result of Tecumseh Food Machinery & Equipment’s non-compliance on to the tax rolls of the property. The order concludes that it will remain in effect until the Tecumseh Food Machinery & Equipment brings the property into compliance, and that the order does not resolve all remaining issues in the matter and does not close the file. The city has contacted F&S Landscaping to complete the mowing and it is scheduled to start this week.Tecumseh City Attorney Scott Baker filed a motion and affidavit asking Tecumseh Food Machinery & Equipment to be held in both civil and criminal contempt of court for failure to comply with the June 26 order. Judge Poer only issued a possible civil contempt of court charge.The City of Tecumseh chose to take Tecumseh Food Machinery & Equipment to court as the cost of cutting the grass at the property costs the city several thousand dollars and, per city ordinance, is placed on the property’s tax bill.Tecumseh Food Machinery & Equipment has not been paying its property taxes since 2013 and the city did not want to incur the cost of mowing the grass without any prospect of the city recovering its expenditures. The city decided to pursue legal action against Tecumseh Food Machinery & Equipment and Roberts and court order the grass to be cut.