Ten tax-foreclosed properties moved from Racine County, to the City of Racine, to a nonprofit, and then into the hands of a small circle of politically connected buyers — without a public auction, and without a dollar going back to the families who lost the homes. This page walks through the documented record, step by step.
Instead, county-owned foreclosed properties moved through two more layers of government and a private nonprofit before landing with private buyers — and at every step, the process that would normally set a fair price and return leftover equity to the family was bypassed.
Racine County forecloses on a home for unpaid property taxes. By law, the property is meant for public auction.
Chapter 75, Wis. Stat.The County transfers title to the City of Racine using the § 75.69(2) municipal-transfer exemption — which bypasses the public auction and appraisal process.
No auction, no appraisalThe City passes the property to Racine Revitalization Partnership, a nonprofit, authorized by Council resolution.
Resolution 0553-24RRP transfers the property to a private, often politically connected, buyer — recorded prices ranging from a $10,000 gift to $45,000 in sales.
Below market valueSOURCE: Wis. Stat. § 75.69(2); City of Racine Common Council Resolution 0553-24; Racine County Register of Deeds records; Wisconsin DOR Real Estate Transfer Returns.
Afterward, the nonprofit's own Executive Director put in writing what the meeting was actually about.
"Quite frankly, it was never about RRP not starting the homes, but rather gifting two homes (at a loss to RRP) to friends of Mason and Malicki."— Kathy Snyder, Executive Director, Racine Revitalization Partnership, forwarded email, April 30, 2026
SOURCE: Mayor Cory Mason Outlook calendar invitation, Nov. 25, 2025; Kathy Snyder emails, Feb.–Apr. 2026.
Latus is the Racine County Treasurer — the official whose office initiates the tax foreclosures that feed this pipeline. He also served on the RRP board that received the properties from the City and passed them on to private buyers. He resigned from that board only after the transfers were already made.
SOURCE: RRP IRS Form 990, filed Nov. 14, 2025; Jeff Latus email to the Racine County Board, Dec. 8, 2025.
In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Tyler v. Hennepin County that a government may only collect the taxes it's actually owed in a foreclosure. Anything left over belongs to the former owner — keeping it without paying them is an uncompensated taking under the Fifth Amendment.
2021 Wisconsin Act 216 required counties to pay former owners any surplus when a foreclosed property is sold. But it only applied if a sale actually happened — there was no requirement that one ever take place. 2023 Wisconsin Act 207 closed that specific gap, requiring counties to arrange a sale rather than merely permitting one.
Act 207 didn't touch § 75.69(2), the provision that exempts transfers "to or between municipalities" from the public auction and appraisal process entirely. That's the exemption Racine County used to move these ten properties to the City — and from there, to RRP.
Housing advocates call this pattern — a government capturing home equity that belongs to the family it foreclosed on — "equity theft." Whether this routing exploits the gap Act 207 left open is a question Racine County officials should have to answer publicly.
SOURCE: Tyler v. Hennepin County, 598 U.S. 631 (2023); 2021 Wisconsin Act 216; 2023 Wisconsin Act 207; Wis. Stat. § 75.69(2); Wisconsin REALTORS® Association, "Foreclosure Equity Theft Loophole" policy analysis; Racine County Register of Deeds records.
Sherrie Tussler sits on the City of Racine's CDBG Advisory Board — the body that recommends which organizations, including RRP, receive federal funding. While serving on that board, she personally received a property from RRP: a house at 1212 Highland Ave., recorded as a gift with an estimated value of $10,000.
SOURCE: 24 CFR § 570.611; Racine County Register of Deeds Document #2721123; Wisconsin DOR Real Estate Transfer Return.
Six officials, two units of government, one circle of transfers — and now several of the same names are endorsing each other's campaigns.
Was in Mayor Cory Mason's office when the transfers were "strongly suggested," per RRP's own Executive Director. Now a headline endorser of Cary Madrigal for Sheriff.
Hosted the meeting in his own office where the transfers were arranged. His City Attorney's office and City Clerk signed off on every deed sending these properties on to RRP.
Received H.O.T. Government's certified-mail questions about the pattern. Has not responded.
Held both seats at once. As a sitting City Alder, voted "aye" — alongside all 15 Alders present — on the August 20, 2024 Common Council item sending these ten properties from the County to the City to RRP, while simultaneously serving as a Racine County Supervisor.
Runs the foreclosure process that fed these properties into the pipeline, while simultaneously sitting on the RRP board that redistributed them. Resigned from that board only after the transfers were made.
Sits on the board that recommends RRP's federal funding. Personally received one of RRP's properties while serving on that board.
SOURCE: Mayor Cory Mason Outlook calendar invitation, Nov. 25, 2025; Kathy Snyder emails, Feb.–Apr. 2026; Racine County Register of Deeds records; Cary Madrigal campaign endorsement materials, June 2026; H.O.T. Government correspondence, June 8, 2026; RRP IRS Form 990, filed Nov. 14, 2025; City of Racine Common Council Meeting Minutes, August 20, 2024 (Item 0553-24).
Seven of the 21 Supervisors are themselves listed as endorsers of Cary Madrigal for Sheriff, alongside County Board Vice Chairman Scott Maier. Of those eight, only one responded — and answered none of the seven questions asked.
SOURCE: H.O.T. Government correspondence, June 8, 2026; June 28, 2026; Cary Madrigal for Racine County Sheriff, official campaign endorsement materials.
H.O.T. Government doesn't ask anyone to take our word for it. Below is the complete evidence packet: recorded deeds, the County Board resolution that authorized the transfers, and the original email chains — including the Mayor's own calendar record of the December 2025 meeting.
We're not telling you how to vote. We're giving you the documents so you can check the record yourself.