When you own back taxes on a property, How behind can you be before they can sell it?

I live in FL and i was wondering when they consider property taxes really delinquent and how far behind before they can take it from you and sell it??? I still owe last years taxes and plan on paying them this year at income tax time, i didn’t have enough in escrow last year to pay them..are they going to take the property from me before then?

3 thoughts on “When you own back taxes on a property, How behind can you be before they can sell it?”

  1. Mean Green

    you should call the town clerk where the property is located and talk to them to find out. In MI you have 3 years.

  2. Elizabeth M

    First of all, contact the escrow holder and find out how short you are and immediately change the withholding amount, or next year’s taxes will be short, too. If you have more than a 22% equity in the property, you can get an appraisal done to prove that value and handle the bill yourself. You are responsible either way for the tax owed, the bank just gets to use the money for free when you have an excrow.
    Florida has great tax collector websites; I checked Sarasota county’s to answer this. Check the one in which you live.
    Taxes are due for 2007 on April 1, 2008. Nothing is delinquent before that. You say last year, but do not define that. In June of 2008, unpaid taxes can be bought via tax certificate, and penalties and interest start to accrue. You have two years from the sale of the tax certificate before the buyer of the back taxes can file a tax deed; but a lien against the property exists when the tax cert is sold. In other words, delinquent taxes for 2007 do not result in the right to take property until at least June 2010. You can rack up some big charges, though.
    If you are unemployed, FL has a plan to defer taxes. You must owe taxes in excess of 5% your income to be eligible, or be over 65. Check the local county’s tax collector website and talk to them if you have a questions, or an attorney who does real estate matters in your county can also help you.

  3. Charles G

    I don’t know Florida, but many states are very aggressive about slapping liens on your house. It doesn’t cost much money, and it prevents you from selling your house before the tax bill is settled. If you check your county recorder, you may find one is already on it.

    If they want to foreclose on your house, that takes much more money, has a PR impact, and the value of your house has to be enough to make it worth while. Exact dollar figure, IDK.

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