Company Owns Thousands Of Property Liens But No One Knows Who Owns The Company

For the longest time, the tax lien investment business — in which investors buy property tax liens from cities and counties and then collect on the debt (or foreclose on the homeowner) — primarily consisted of small, local investors looking for a relatively quick profit. But in the last two decades, larger companies have taken to buying up as many liens as possible and then shaking down homeowners for the debt and often thousands of dollars in fees. But just because these lien-buyers are bigger and operate in multiple states doesn’t mean they are any more legitimate.

The Washington Post has a fascinating, in-depth look at one Chicago-based company, Aeon Financial, which has purchased thousands of liens in D.C., Maryland, Kentucky, Iowa, and Ohio.

We say “Chicago-based,” but that’s really just where the company’s mailboxes are, reports the Post.

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