Court orders an accounting of every sheriff sale since 2020; special master raised

Common Pleas Court Judge Paula Patrick, supervisor of the court’s commerce division, signed an order requiring Sheriff Bilal to submit a detailed accounting of every sheriff sale since she took office in January 2020, along with a plan for “promptly” handling post-sale payments and delivering deeds to winning bidders. The order stated that the office “appears not to be timely performing non-discretionary duties mandated by law.”

The order also required Bilal or a representative to appear at a public hearing to demonstrate why a special master, title agent, or someone with similar real estate expertise should not be brought in. A 2003 consent order already required the office to process deeds within 40 days of settlement.