Last year, Deborah Foss was forced to live in her car during the coldest months of the year after New Bedford officials placed a tax lien on her home and sold it to a private company called Tallage for $9,626 — the total amount she owed, including interest. The tax lien gave the investor authority under Massachusetts law to take her home, sell it for $241,600 and keep all the profits. Deborah lost her home and her value in it over a debt that was worth just a fraction of the value of her home.
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