In the past, smaller taxpayers such as yourself held a disproportionately higher audit risk since it's a lot faster to audit the little guy which makes their numbers look better.

Tax sales are a balancing act among (1) the need of government to collect property taxes and, if owners will not pay then, then to provide incentives for investors to purchase the tax rights and (2) investors, who need an attractive return for the risk they are taking, and (3) citizen taxpayers, who should not lose their property and all equity because of small debts and perhaps temporary or at least relatively short term financial difficulties.

However I would say this tax payment deadline is the prompt to pay. 

I think I understand this correctly but I'm hoping you can confirm the process:Buyer and seller agree to owner finance and decide on sales price, amortization, interest rate, and balloon scheduleBuyer allows seller to "keep" his portion of tax payments, and his rent income for the month of closing (the 'credits')Seller transfers the tenants' security deposits to buyerBack these credits out of the sales price to get the actual note amount and actual monthly paymentSit pretty for a few years on your cash flowWhen balloon is due, go to a big institutional lender and cash-out refinance to pay the balloon.Profit!

There are a few reasons for this but the main driver is the fact that in Georgia the county tax commissioner has an implied lien over ALL real estate owned by a given taxpayer, not just the property or properties with overdue taxes. 

It doesn't really affect me, other than as a tax payer.

I tend to get letters after the towns update their assessment lists, I think they are just looking for properties with a taxpayer address different from the property address.Anyway, here's the deal.

However, this is a difficult qualification to meet, especially if you have a full-time job outside of real estate.Don’t worry if you aren’t able to qualify for REPS status, because there is another strategy that is referred to as a “loophole”, which is the STR strategy.Per Section 1.469-1T(e)(3)(ii)(A): there are six exceptions where your rental property income is not automatically considered to be “rental activity” and thus may unlock the door for being able to offset these losses against your active income.The average customer use is seven days or less.The average customer use is 30 days or less and significant personal services were provided (for example, daily housekeeping).Extraordinary personal services are provided, regardless of the duration of customer use.The rental is incidental to a non-rental activity.The property is available during defined business hours for non-exclusive use by various customers.The property is used in an activity conducted by an S Corporation, partnership or joint venture in which the taxpayer holds an interest.If your property qualifies by meeting one of the exceptions above, the next step is to demonstrate material participation in the rental activity.

The banks paid it all back and billions in excess... and taxpayers "won" economically.

Now you have (a) shifted persons for a net gain because what would have been 100% tax payer funded is now at least partially private sector financed.