Allegheny County Councilman Ed Kress will introduce a bill at tonight's council meeting aimed at limiting sheriff's sales of homes owned by anyone older than 65 and earning less than $40,000 a year.

He also has a second bill that would let senior citizens with low incomes defer payment of a portion of their property taxes if they see assessment increases or if the county raises its millage rate.

"We don't want to throw old people out of their homes," said Mr. Kress, a Shaler Republican who is up for re-election next week.

Lawrence B. Paladin, a Pittsburgh attorney who collects delinquent taxes, said Mr. Kress' proposal may conflict with state laws if it tries to stop local taxing bodies -- school districts and municipalities -- from seeking a sheriff's sale when a homeowner fails to pay his or her property taxes. It's unclear whether Mr. Kress' bill would put limits on school districts and municipalities.

"I have questions about whether this would pass constitutional muster," he said.

Mr. Kress acknowledged that he and other County Council members need to work out legal issues around both bills, which likely will go to the Special Committee on Property Assessments for further study.

Council President Rich Fitzgerald, D-Squirrel Hill, who chairs the assessment committee, said he would consider Mr. Kress' legislation.

He noted that the county already grants a 30 percent tax reduction to homeowners older than 60. Also, last month, council approved county Chief Executive Dan Onorato's proposal to reuse this year's assessment figures in 2006, meaning no property owners will see increases.

Sgt. Rich Fersch, who tracks property sales in the real estate section of the county sheriff's office, said he doesn't have records for sales of homes owned by seniors.

The county, he said, has filed about 2,500 tax liens since February, and 21 of those properties will go up for sale next month.

Mr. Kress said he didn't think property owners would take advantage of either bill to avoid paying taxes. If they don't pay, they still would face tax liens.

"I don't think seniors want liens on their properties," he said. "I think most would pay if they could."