Wayne County homeowners with delinquent property taxes can enroll in an assistance program that reduces the interest rate on delinquent taxes from 18% to 6% for eligible taxpayers.
The Interest Reduction Stipulated Payment Agreement (IRSPA) compiles all past delinquencies into a single payment plan to help homeowners get back on track with tax payments. Currently, 6,455 properties are enrolled in the IRSPA program. Since its inception in 2015, 33,770 properties of 43,955 plans have fully paid off their delinquent taxes, according to the Wayne County Treasurer’s Communications Director Adam Abusalah.
To qualify for the IRSPA, homeowners must meet the following criteria:
- The property must be the homeowner’s principal residence
- The homeowner must keep a record of a Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) as proof of permanent residency
- The homeowner must keep a record of the property’s deed as proof of ownership if the property taxes are under a name other than the owner
The authorizing legislation for payment agreements like IRSPA expires on June 30. Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree is urging homeowners with delinquent property taxes to enroll by this deadline.
While the program is set to expire on June 30, there is still a chance Michigan legislators will extend the program through Senate Bill 423, which was passed by the Senate in October 2025 in an effort to remove the expiration date. The bill is now in the hands of the House of Representatives.
“Without action by the Michigan Legislature before June 30, this vital payment plan will end this month,” Sabree said in a June 4 press release. “We are urging Wayne County property owners who may be struggling to pay back taxes to enroll while they still can, before the Legislature puts an end to this program.”
Each payment agreement lasts 60 months from the enrollment date. Taxpayers who enroll before the deadline will remain in the payment plan for the full 60-month period, even if the program expires before the period ends.
A 2019 Detroit News article found that people struggled to get out of their tax debt even though they were enrolled in this program. In an email to BridgeDetroit, Abusalah explained that after 2019, new legislation and philanthropic programs were enacted to further assist in reducing debt. One of those programs includes Senate Bill 423, which, in addition to extending the IRSPA deadline, will revive legislation that reduces outstanding taxes and eliminates interest and fees for qualifying low-income homeowners.
“The Treasurer’s office engages in proactive outreach to homeowners struggling to meet their obligations under the plan,” Abusalah wrote. “If the extending legislation is passed, more Detroiters who are in the plans would have the opportunity to use any prior payments under the interest reduction plan applied to the plans with reduced taxes, and no interest or fees.”
For questions and more information, contact the treasurer’s office at 313-224-5990 or visit https://www.waynecountymi.gov/Government/Elected-Officials/Treasurer.