Michigan mother's home being foreclosed upon after just one missed property tax payment

MICHIGAN (WITI) -- A Michigan mother missed one property tax payment -- and now, she's losing her home.

FOX6's sister station, FOX17 in West Michigan reports Deborah Calley's struggles began with a devastating car accident.

It happened in 2008, and it left Calley with injuries to her arms, wrists and neck, along with bruises on her brain. She was told the recovery process could take several years, and for awhile, she had trouble doing simple things for herself -- like driving and getting dressed in the morning.

In 2010, Calley found a home that would make it possible to raise her two children.

Now, the home Calley calls her "dream home" has been foreclosed upon, after Calley missed a single property tax payment.

“When I paid the taxes in 2012, no one said, ‘oh, well you still owe money for 2011,' so, I didn’t really have a clue. I thought I was right on time," Calley said.

FOX17 reports Calley admits confusion and memory problems following the accident may have played a role in the missed payment.

Calley's realtor says most homeowners make just two payments a year, but because Calley lives in a village, she had that payment as well.

Still -- Calley says she should've been warned that her home was about to be foreclosed upon.

According to FOX17, court documents show several notices were sent out from the county treasurer's office over the last year -- but Calley claims she never saw one.

FOX17 determined 10 letters were sent out -- with nine of them addressed to Calley. Others were sent to banks -- banks Calley says she's never been affiliated with. As for the one allegedly addressed to her home, Calley says she didn't get that one either.

“I know for a fact that it went back to this company called Title Check because I have a receipt from the person at Title Check who signed it at their address in Kalamazoo,” Calley said.

Property tax payments are usually included as part of a homeowner's mortgage, but Calley doesn't have a mortgate because she paid the more than $164,000 in cash for the home -- and she paid it in full.

Calley says she wants to pay what she owes, and keep her home.

She has until September 19th to convice a judge proper notice of foreclosure failed to take place.

If the county decides to keep the home, they will auction it off -- taking what is owed to them, and keeping a profit.

“To take my $164,000 house over less than $2,000 I would say that’s extremely excessive,” Calley told FOX17.

FOX17 reports Kalamazoo County's corporation counsel says the county is within its legal limits to take her home.

“If this was a case where there was a default or a defect in the notices then we would agree that it shouldn’t go to foreclosure. But, it’s just too late," Kalamazoo County corporation counsel Thom Canny told FOX17.

CLICK HERE for more on this story via FOX17.