Unpaid taxes grow with penalties and interest, and the county can eventually foreclose. Put in what you owe and see what each route leaves you, then talk it through with a person.
We buy houses, so we are not neutral. That is why the math is shown, including the cases where keeping the house or listing it comes out ahead.
Compare my options →Yes. Unpaid property taxes do not stop a sale, but they stay with the property. Under R.C. 323.11 the state's tax lien attaches on January 1 each year and continues until the taxes, penalties, and interest are paid, so the title company pays them from your proceeds at closing. If the sale price covers the taxes, the mortgage, and any other liens, the rest is yours.
Timing matters. Once a delinquent parcel is certified, R.C. 5721.18 directs the county prosecutor to start foreclosure unless the taxes are paid first. Two doors stay open for a while: a written delinquent tax contract with the county treasurer under R.C. 323.31, and redemption under R.C. 5721.25. Both are cheaper than losing the house, and both are worth a call to the treasurer.
Enter what you know. Rough numbers are fine. The tool shows what listing would leave you after the taxes and payoffs, and the as-is price that would leave you the same. The taxes are paid at closing either way, so they lower both results equally. Send it to us and we will check the numbers with you. No obligation.
Elite Home Bids buys houses directly and may sell its contract to another buyer. Before you sign anything, Ohio law requires us to give you a separate written disclosure. Nothing here is legal or tax advice.
A member of our team will contact you to go through your comparison and answer questions. Prefer to talk now? Call (888) 379-6263.
While you wait, the checklist below covers the first steps when property taxes are behind.
Not legal or tax advice. A starting order of operations that keeps your options open.
Sources: R.C. 323.11 · R.C. 323.31 · R.C. 5721.18 · R.C. 5721.25
Plain tradeoffs, no numbers. The tool above fills in the numbers for your house.
| Route | Time | Costs to you | Effort and risk | Often fits when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay in full and keep the house | Immediate once you have the money | The balance plus penalties and interest | Needs cash on hand; ends the lien problem | You can raise the money and want to stay |
| Payment plan with the county treasurer | Spread over the contract term the treasurer sets | The balance paid in installments | You must keep every payment; missing one can void the contract | You live in the house, want to keep it, and can afford regular payments |
| List with an agent, pay taxes at closing | Longest: preparation, showings, then closing | Repairs, commission, closing costs, carrying costs | Most effort; no guarantee of price or timing | The house is in good shape, you are not in a hurry, and equity is solid |
| Sell as-is to a cash buyer, pay taxes at closing | Shortest; you choose the closing date | The price reflects repairs the buyer takes on | Least work; confirm in writing what is included | A court date or deadline is close, or repairs and carrying costs are more than you can handle |
Yes. Unpaid property taxes are a lien on the house, and under Ohio R.C. 323.11 that lien stays on the property until the taxes, penalties, and interest are paid. A sale does not erase it. The title company pays it off from your proceeds at closing, so you should ask the county treasurer's office and the title company for a payoff figure before you decide.
No. R.C. 323.11 says the lien continues until the taxes "including any penalties, interest, or other charges accruing thereon" are paid, so the number grows the longer a bill sits. The county treasurer can give you the current balance for your parcel.
Once the county auditor certifies a delinquent parcel, R.C. 5721.18 directs the county prosecutor to start a foreclosure case to enforce the lien, either in court or before the county board of revision, unless the taxes are paid before a complaint is filed. How fast that happens differs by county, so check with the treasurer's office.
Often, yes. R.C. 323.31 gives an owner who lives in the house, and has no tax lien certificate or foreclosure judgment against it, at least one chance to sign a written delinquent tax contract with the county treasurer. After that first one, a new contract is at the treasurer's discretion. A contract can be signed any time before the foreclosure is adjudicated. Ask the treasurer what the monthly payment would be.
Sometimes. Under R.C. 5721.25 you can redeem by paying the county treasurer the taxes, penalties, interest, charges, and costs due. Before a case starts that is all it takes. After it starts you can still redeem until the court confirms the sale (or an alternative redemption period ends), but you must also show the property meets zoning, building, health, and safety codes. Deadlines are tight, so speak with an attorney the day you receive court papers.
That depends on the arithmetic: the sale price minus the back taxes, the mortgage, any other liens, and closing costs. The tool above runs it with your numbers. If the number is close to zero or negative, a payment plan or a conversation with an attorney may serve you better than a quick sale.
The taxes come out of the proceeds whoever buys, so they lower what you keep in both a listing and an as-is sale by the same amount. What differs between the two routes is repairs, commission, time on the market, and carrying costs. That is what the tool compares.
Run the numbers, keep the comparison, and take your time. If you want a person to check them with you, we are one message away.
Compare my options →