Cheboygan County Unclaimed Money

Cheboygan County residents may have unclaimed money in Michigan's free state database or in tax foreclosure surplus funds held through the county treasurer's office in Cheboygan. Treasurer Buffy Jo Weldon leads a full staff at 870 S. Main Street and handles all delinquent tax collection, property foreclosure, and fund management for this northern Michigan county on the Straits of Mackinac.

Michigan Unclaimed Property Search

Michigan's official unclaimed property database is free to search at unclaimedproperty.michigan.gov. The Michigan Department of Treasury runs this program and has returned over $675 million to residents over the past five years. The database includes dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten utility deposits, old insurance proceeds, and more. You search by name. No account is required. If a match comes up, you file a claim right from the portal at no cost.

For direct assistance, call the Treasury's unclaimed property unit at (517) 636-5320 or email TreasUPD@michigan.gov. Staff can confirm whether a result is genuinely yours and explain what documents are needed.

The Cheboygan County Treasurer's page at cheboygancounty.net/departments-services/treasurer/ lists contact details, staff, and tax information for the county. The screenshot below shows that page.

Visit the treasurer's page at cheboygancounty.net to find contact information and access delinquent tax resources for Cheboygan County.

The page lists the full staff, their phone numbers, and their specific responsibilities within the office.

The Cheboygan County main website at cheboygancounty.net provides a directory of all county departments and services.

Use the main site to navigate to treasurer services, court information, and other county resources.

Contact Treasurer Buffy Jo Weldon

The Cheboygan County Treasurer's office has a full team handling different aspects of tax and fund management. Here is the complete contact information:

The office also has a dedicated staff for specific tasks. Chief Deputy Wendy L. Loffer can be reached at (231) 627-8822. Assistant Deputy Denise L. Hart handles inquiries at (231) 627-8873. For foreclosure-specific questions, Foreclosure Clerk Keyana Snyder is at (231) 627-8897. Clerk Christina Hartman handles general inquiries at (231) 627-8442.

This level of staffing is useful to know because it means you can reach someone who specializes in your specific question, whether it is about a delinquent tax bill, a foreclosure timeline, or a surplus claim form.

Note: The county building door opens at 8:00 AM, but office hours officially begin at 8:00 AM as well, so staff are available from the time the building opens.

How Delinquent Tax Collection Works

Each March 1, the Cheboygan County Treasurer receives delinquent property taxes from all townships and cities in the county through the annual "settlement" process. This is how it works: when a property owner does not pay their local taxes, the township or city treasurer certifies that unpaid amount to the county. The county then pays the township or city the full amount owed using the Delinquent Tax Revolving Fund, making each local unit whole for taxes that residents failed to pay. The county then holds the debt and begins the collection and foreclosure process.

This structure means the county takes on the collection risk while local units of government receive their tax revenue on schedule. It also means the county treasurer has full responsibility for pursuing unpaid taxes and managing the foreclosure timeline from that point forward. For property owners, it means all delinquent tax questions after March 1 of year one go to the county treasurer's office, not the local township or city.

Tax Foreclosure Surplus in Cheboygan County

Michigan law MCL 211.78t gives former property owners the right to claim surplus proceeds when a tax foreclosure sale produces more than what was owed. This right applies to foreclosures from 2021 onward and comes from the 2020 Michigan Supreme Court ruling in Rafaeli, LLC v. Oakland County. The state cannot keep money beyond its debt.

To claim surplus in Cheboygan County, file Form 5743 with Treasurer Weldon by July 1 in the year of the foreclosure sale. The treasurer responds with a formal accounting through Form 5744 by January 31. If unresolved, you may file a circuit court motion with form CC540 between February 1 and May 15.

Free help is available. Michigan Legal Help at michiganlegalhelp.org provides a full walkthrough of the claim process. For attorney referrals, use the State Bar at (800) 968-0738 or visit lrs.michbar.org. Legal Services of Eastern Michigan serves this region at (800) 322-4512.

Michigan Foreclosure Timeline

March 1, year one: Unpaid taxes become delinquent. The county adds a 4% fee and charges 1% per month in interest. March 1, year two: Unpaid properties are forfeited to the county. Interest rises to 1.5% per month. April 1, year three: Foreclosure is final. The county holds clear title. March 31 of year three is the last date to pay and stop foreclosure.

After title passes, the county can sell the property. Tax-Sale.info runs auctions for over 74 Michigan counties and can be reached at 800-259-7470. If the sale brings in more than the total owed, that surplus can be claimed under MCL 211.78t. The Michigan Homeowner Assistance Fund at michigan.gov/mihaf offers grants up to $25,000 to prevent foreclosure before it reaches this stage.

Cities and Towns in Cheboygan County

Cheboygan County has no cities that meet the 100,000-population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. The county seat is the city of Cheboygan. Other communities in the county include Mackinaw City, Indian River, Wolverine, and Topinabee. For any unclaimed money or foreclosure surplus matter in any of these communities, the Cheboygan County Treasurer at 870 S. Main Street in Cheboygan handles all county-level claims.

Nearby Counties

Cheboygan County sits at the tip of Michigan's lower peninsula, close to the Straits of Mackinac. Neighboring counties each have their own treasurer's offices for delinquent tax and surplus claims.