Unpaid Real Estate Taxes May Jeopardize Your Property Ownership

When a property owner fails to timely pay property taxes, the unpaid balance of taxes and
penalties can be subject to a tax sale. Before the property taxes are sold, a notice is sent to the
property owner warning them to pay the full amount of taxes and any penalties owed prior to
the scheduled date or risk losing the property.

If the property taxes have been sold, the property owner has a statutorily defined period of time
to redeem the deficiency by paying the unpaid taxes, accrued penalties, additional interest, and
any fees. The property owner can order an Estimate of the Cost of Redemption from the County
Clerk’s office, which is a calculation of the amount that needs to be paid in full by a certain date
in order to redeem the tax sale. If there is no timely redemption, the tax purchaser can acquire
legal title to the property resulting in the owner’s loss of the property.

Managing payment of your real estate taxes is critical in defending against the threat of loss from
non-payment.