Investigation of County Treasurers' Tax-Sale Registration Fees, June 2007

On January 2, 2007, the Ombudsman received a complaint regarding the fee that county treasurers charge registrants at annual tax sales. The complainant said generally that many of the state’s counties, especially larger ones, appeared to be charging higher fees than was thought to be allowed by law. Investigation The investigation was conducted by Assistant Ombudsman Bert Dalmer. For purposes of this report, all investigative actions are ascribed to the Ombudsman. In early 2007, the Ombudsman surveyed tax-sale registration fees in 10 of the state’s 99 counties. Interviews of 10 county treasurers and/or some of their deputies were conducted. In addition, the Ombudsman researched the Iowa Code and relevant case law. The Ombudsman also consulted with the Iowa State Auditor and the president of the Iowa State County Treasurers Association.