Register of deeds

FRIDAY, JAN. 30 — Ingham County Commissioner Carol Koenig, who is seeking the register of deeds post, said Thursday she has been late or delinquent at times on property taxes.

County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III, a member of the board that will pick the new register, asked her if she’d ever been delinquent on taxes.

“Sure, but they were always caught up,” Koenig replied.

Confusion led to erroneous media reports earlier today, including by City Pulse, that Koenig was delinquent on her 2014 taxes. The reports stemmed from a search of the Ingham County Treasurer’s website.

The taxes remained unpaid as of Thursday for the three Lansing properties in question, but Koenig sold the properties last year in a way that made the taxes the responsibility of the new owner.

However, Koenig had been delinquent on her 2013 taxes for the same three properties at the time of the sale, Ingham County Treasurer Eric Schertzing said Thursday.

A more current database, operated by the City of Lansing, shows Koenig was delinquent on her 2013 taxes for the properties at 1008 and 1010 Cleveland St. and 719 Johnson St. in Lansing when she transferred ownership of those properties on July 23, 2014. She transferred ownership of the properties to James Bouchard, records show. The two used a legal process called a “quit claim” deed to accomplish the property transfer.

Quit claim deeds allow a person to quickly transfer all ownership rights to another person without removing anything that might delay such a transfer — such as unpaid taxes, liens or other legal actions.

Koenig and Bouchard co-own a property located at 690 Hagadorn Road in East Lansing, records show.

Koenig is one of three finalists for register of deeds to fill out the term of Curtis Hertel Jr., who was elected last fall to the state Senate. She and Lansing City Council members Carol Wood and Derrick Quinney were interviewed Thursday by the board that will make the appointment. The register of deeds oversees the office that records and stores real estate and personal property documents.   

During the interviews, all three were asked if they owed any money to any government in Ingham County. All three answered “no” to the question.

Koenig was not the only candidate subjected to questions about their past. Garcia, Byrum and Dunnings all said they had been contacted by Schertzing alleging Quinney had sought special consideration related to a foreclosed property. Quinney denied the allegations. The committee members also appeared to minimize the allegation by noting that Schertzing had been invited to submit a written statement or appear before the committee to share his concerns, but hadn't. Schertzing said he had no comment about the situation when reached by phone Thursday afternoon.

But Koenig was subjected to further questioning as a result of earlier media reports.

After explaining that she had sold the properties, Dunnings III interrupted her to ask if she had ever been delinquent on property taxes. That’s when she responded affirmatively.

She described her tax payments as “back and forth” between caught up and past due.

The board is expected to vote on its choice Wednesday. Besides Dunnings, the members are Clerk Barb Byrum and Chief Probate Judge Richard Garcia.

Schertzing said that while Koenig’s 2013 taxes were delinquent, she had committed no crime, but it “doesn’t look good from a political standpoint.”

“The risk is more political than policy,” he said.

He said Koenig’s property transfers and delinquent taxes do not concern him if she is selected. The two offices work closely together on taxes and foreclosure.

Koenig did not return text messages Thursday seeking comment.