Tax delinquent
How to buy property with delinquent taxes: liens, deeds, and the owner before the sale
Updated September 2026. The free method first, the paid shortcut second.
There are two routes to buying property with delinquent taxes. At the county’s tax sale you buy either a tax lien, which the owner can redeem with interest, or a tax deed to the property itself, depending on your state. Or you use the county’s delinquent tax list to reach owners before the sale and buy the house from them, with the back taxes paid at closing. The list is free. Research every parcel before you bid.
- You need
- Your county treasurer’s or tax collector’s site
- You get
- Parcels, owners, amounts owed, sale dates
- Cost
- Free to research. Buying costs the bid
- Varies by
- State: lien or deed, and the redemption period
From the county list to the sale, or the owner
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Find out whether your state sells liens or deeds
In a lien state such as Florida or Arizona, the county sells a certificate for the unpaid tax, and the owner can pay it off with interest. In a deed state such as California, the county sells the property. Texas and Georgia sell deeds the owner can still redeem for a set time. The county treasurer or tax collector publishes which kind it sells, with its sale rules.
What you come away with Whether you would be buying a debt with interest, or the property.
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Get the county’s delinquent tax list
Counties publish a list of delinquent parcels before a sale, on the treasurer’s or tax collector’s website and in a local newspaper’s legal notices. Where none is posted, ask for it under your state’s public records law.
What you come away with Parcels, owner names, amounts owed and, once set, the sale date.
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Research each parcel before you bid
Look up the assessor record and the recorder’s index for mortgages and other liens, and look at the property itself, even if just from the street. Some debts survive a tax sale, a mortgage lender may pay the taxes to protect its loan, and you usually cannot see inside.
What you come away with A short list worth bidding on, with what else is owed against each.
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Register for the sale and learn its rules
Counties set their own registration, deposit, bidding method and payment deadline, and many run their sales online. Read the rules before the sale day, because a winning bid usually has to be paid in full within a short window.
What you come away with A bidder registration, and the payment terms you must meet if you win.
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Or reach the owner before the sale
The same list names owners who are behind. Write to them at the address on the tax roll. An owner who sells before the sale pays the back taxes from the proceeds at closing and keeps the rest of their equity, which is a better outcome for them than losing it at auction.
What you come away with A chance to buy the house itself, at a price agreed with the owner.
Where the risk sits
The list is free, but a tax sale is not a bargain by default. A lien can be redeemed, and then you get your money back with the interest your state allows, not the house. A deed can come with debts that survive the sale and a title that needs a court action, called a quiet title, before an insurer will cover it.
Research is the slow part. Every parcel needs its record, its liens and a look at the building, and a county sale can list hundreds of parcels. That work is the same whether you bid at the sale or write to the owners.
Tools that flag unpaid property tax
These tools help with the second route, reaching owners before the sale. Prices from each pricing page, September 2026.
| Tool | Tax delinquency | Entry price | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
 PropertyRadar |
Tax delinquent, named among its lead plays | $119 a month | See PropertyRadar pricing |
 DealMachine |
A signal it scores each property on | $99 a seat | See DealMachine pricing |
 Propwire |
Tax liens, among its Premium leads | Premium $99 a month, 1,000 lead credits | Try Propwire free |
A tool’s tax flag is drawn from county tax data and is as current as its last update. Check a few flagged parcels against the treasurer’s site before you mail a list, because owners who have paid since will be on it.
Paid links. If you subscribe through one we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes our ranking order.
Delinquent tax property: questions people ask
Can you buy a house by paying the back taxes?
Not by paying them alone. Paying someone else’s tax bill does not give you the property. You get it by buying at the tax sale where your state sells deeds, or by buying from the owner, who then pays the taxes at closing.
What is the difference between a tax lien and a tax deed?
A tax lien is the county’s claim for the unpaid tax, sold to you with the right to collect it with interest. A tax deed transfers the property itself. Which one your county sells is set by state law.
How long does an owner have to redeem?
It depends on the state and sometimes on the kind of property, from months to a few years. The county treasurer or tax collector publishes the period with its sale rules.
Where do I find the delinquent tax list?
On the county treasurer’s or tax collector’s website, in the legal notices of a local newspaper before a sale, or on request under your state’s public records law.
Is buying tax deed property risky?
It can be. Properties are generally sold as is, you may not see inside, some debts survive the sale, and the title may need a quiet title action before it can be insured. Read the county’s sale rules and ask a real estate lawyer before you bid.
Do I get the house if I buy a tax lien?
Not unless the owner never pays and you then follow your state’s process to take the property, which is often a separate application or court action. Otherwise you are repaid with the interest your state allows.
What is a tax lien certificate?
In states that sell liens, the buyer at the tax sale receives a certificate for the unpaid property tax. It earns interest at a rate state law sets, bid down at the sale in some states, until the owner pays it off, and if the owner never redeems, the holder can apply for the deed after the waiting period state law sets.
How we put this together
| Line | Source | What we read |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Public records | County treasurer and tax collector websites, for delinquent lists and sale rules |
| 02 | Rules | State tax sale laws, for the terms lien, deed and redemption as used here |
| 03 | Pricing | The feature and pricing pages of the tools in the table, read September 2026 |
What we did not do. We have not bought at a tax sale. Tax sale rules differ by state and county, and nothing here is legal or investment advice.