Property tax question

[BabyTigger99]

What happens if someone doesn't pay their property taxes? This is NOT ME (thank GOd!), but my cousin and her loser husband. They have not paid taxes in 2003, 2004, or 2005. By my calculations, they owe over $7600. I mean, can they lose their house over this, go to jail, what can happen?

 

[C.Ann]

Go to jail? No.. Lose their house? Most certainly.. How long they (the county) will let it go depends on what state they live in and what county they live in.. And of course there will be a HUGE amount of interest due as well..

Three years worth of taxes is a long time - and a lot of interest.. They better figure out what they're going to do about it and do it quick if they don't want the Sheriff auctioning off their house on behalf of the county..

 

[CajunDixie]

It most likely already has a lien on it by the county eventually the county/sheriff can auction their house.

 

[bsnyder]

It does depend on the county. In ours, a tax certificate is sold (at auction) on the properties with unpaid taxes for each year. The property owner has 22 months to redeem the certificate, pay the back taxes plus the interest. If not, they definitely run the risk of losing the home.

 

[DVC-Don]

Our county has yearly auctions of unpaid tax properties. Normally they don't let them go more than 2 or 3 years before the property is sold at auction.

 

[kilee]

In our county it's 3 years. That is the point that they would auction off the house.

 

[aprilgail2]

My neighbors house finally went up for auction...3 years after they stopped paying taxes..they came in, tossed all their belongings out to the curb, boarded it up then sold it at auction.