Special report: Detroit's tax collection problem

Detroit tax review members face scrutiny for own bills

Detroit — The chairman of a city board that rules on tax appeals contends his upscale home is exempt from being taxed because it is a church parsonage.

5 ways for Detroit to fix its broken property tax system

Detroit won’t recover from financial crisis until it resolves a property tax system that produces too little money to provide basic services but over-taxes residents to a point where about half don’t pay, experts say.

Snyder: Land banks may help slow Detroit foreclosures

Detroit — Gov. Rick Snyder said land banks could help slow an avalanche of foreclosures in Detroit caused in part by high property taxes and unrealistic assessments.

Tax burden, low property values lead to exodus of Detroit residents

For a generation, Detroit has levied as many property taxes as it legally could on its citizens. Now, after decades of plummeting population and property values, some wonder if that was such a good idea.

• Interactive: Unpaid property taxes plague Detroit

Half of Detroit property owners don’t pay taxes

Nearly half of the owners of Detroit’s 305,000 properties failed to pay their tax bills last year, exacerbating a punishing cycle of declining revenues and diminished services for a city in a financial crisis, according to a Detroit News analysis of government records.

Interactive: Property taxes paid in Detroit

Owners of just over half of Detroit's taxable properties paid their 2011 property taxes. The Detroit News mapped out delinquencies throughout the city; a tax bill was considered paid in full if at least 95 percent of the amount was paid. About four percent of property owners paid a portion of their bill.

Overwhelmed Wayne County ignores thousands of possible Detroit foreclosures

Wayne County is ignoring thousands of properties that should be foreclosed, inaction that may be in violation of state law and could encourage squatting, scrapping and speculation.