VALPARAISO | Porter County Councilwoman Karen Conover said she is concerned after hearing this week from two residents whose businesses and undeveloped properties had been improperly scheduled for sale due to delinquent taxes.

Both residents have had tax appeals pending before the county since 2008, which alone should have removed them from the tax sale list, she said.

But in addition, they have been paying estimated taxes all along and thus making a good faith effort until their appeals are settled, Conover said.

"It's just wrong," she said.

Conover said she referred the two residents to Porter County Auditor James Kopp, who said Wednesday there were a total of five people so far claiming to have been improperly added to tax sale list.

Kopp was awaiting paperwork from both of them in order to verify their claims and remove them from the list if appropriate.

County officials were uncertain Wednesday how the error occurred or how many other people might be affected.

County Treasurer Mike Bucko said Conover was not willing to give him the identities of the people she heard from and thus he is unable to investigate.

Bucko said his office compiled the tax sales list by removing properties that are in bankruptcy or involved in an appeal. The list of appeals was provided by the county assessor's office.

Porter County Assessor John Scott said the problem likely could have been avoided if there were better communication between the different software programs in his and the treasurer's office.

Bucko encourages anyone who believes he or she has been improperly added to the tax sales list to contact his office for help.

There are 1,538 properties scheduled to be sold off during the Oct. 20 tax sale, which is the first sale the county has held since 2006, Deputy Auditor Danielle Glenn said.

The properties account for nearly $11.9 million in delinquent taxes dating back to the 2007 tax year, she said. One property owner owes more than $500,000 on his six to seven parcels, she said.

The list of properties to be sold off will be made public Sept. 10.