A new report from WGBH News partner the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR) finds some cities and towns in Massachusetts are cashing in on homeowners who fall behind, auctioning off tax debts at inflated rates to private investors, who then have the power to re-possess the property — sometimes over something as little as a few hundred dollars from a delinquent water or electricity bill. While not all cities sell off debts like this, the ones that do — like Worcester, Pittsfield and Lowell — can take in thousands, and sometimes millions of dollars from these auctions.
Read more: Some Cities Are Cashing In On Homeowners' Tax Debts, And Making Foreclosure More Likely
Jim Braude was joined by NECIR reporter Christopher Burrell, along with Paul Meaney, a financial planner who almost lost property in Worcester after his tax debt was sold.
