Yes, they really can take your house if your property taxes are paid late.
Property taxes are the revenue source for local governmental agencies and they don’t fool around when they don’t receive their tax money from property owners.
Each municipality or county approaches collection of past due property tax in different ways.
Some entities will reach out to attempt to notify the property owners about the arrearage. Some will sell the delinquent property tax obligation to a third party collector, then the third party will purse collections proceedings from the property owner or property owner’s estate.
Penalties and actions that a governing entity may take vary.
Some will auction the tax liability. Others will simply charge interest. Some will even make payment arrangements.
Find your local property tax assessors office. Even if you don’t believe that you owe them anything. Try to establish how much property tax, fees, and fines are owed. Visit the tax assessor’s website or by visit the property tax assessor’s office.
Once the tax assessor has exhausted their prescribed level of patience and understanding with a property owner that is late paying their property taxes, the tax assessor will eventually move to get paid by the property owner.
Once the debt has been sold or otherwise transferred, there is often a redemption period within which the property owner can pay the late property taxes, plus fines and interest, and keep their property.
The longer the period of time that the tax remains unpaid, the higher the penalties and the harder it will be for the property owner to save their property.
Big Snapper House Buyers provides a purchase option for properties in various stages of property tax delinquency. Contact us and let’s discuss what options you may have. The sooner you contact us, the easier it is to come to a resolution for your property and family.