Tax Sale Voided?! Check received w/amount from a year ago. atty $

[Denise Jdsmom]

This is the first time this has happened, and I haven't been able to get in contact with the RE attorney in charge of my case. I hired him in September and in November I received a check with the exact amount (not including legal fees) that simply stated, "Tax Sale Voided". I'm livid and have no idea even who to complain to! I was expecting 20% ROI in the year it was there and I was even counting the extra months, plus the attorney fees. And now, I not only didn't have that money to invest in something useful, but also I am in the hole for the attorney fees (or am I?)

Why didn't the attorney tell me?

Why did the county keep the money all this time?

What happens to my attorney fees that I was supposed to get back? Did I lose that money too? 

I've been trying for over a week to get a hold of my attorney and to no avail. 

Thanks for reading, hopefully someone on this forum knows. 

[Ned Carey]

@Denise Jdsmom What county was this in. In Baltimore city the rules clearly state that if a lien is voided you get no interest and no legal fees. i believe most counties in Maryland are this way also. This is one of the risks of tax sale. It is also one of the reasons I say you need to know the rules.

There are several reasons the tax sale may have been voided. The property could have been in bankruptcy before the sale. There could have been a previous foreclosure case that is opened. And in Covid times they simply may not have been caught up on the redemptions.

Now a good attorney will look up to see if the lien was voided or if there was a reason it could be voided before they do any significant work.

My guess is this was Prince Georges county because you said 20%. i would ask them why it was voided.