List of Tax Lien Certificates
- What you need to know about tax lien certificates.home sweet home image by David Dorner from Fotolia.com
A county can respond to the failure of payment of property taxes by putting a tax lien on the delinquent homeowner's property, and it can auction off those debts as lien certificates. Specifics of tax liens and lien certificate sales vary from county to county. But generally, If the delinquent owner does not pay their debt---often plus interest---in the time allotted, the holder of the tax certificate can foreclose on the property. - A tax lien certificate is one acquired through auction or sale from a county that has placed the lien against a property for unpaid taxes. The purchaser of the tax lien usually pays the taxes owed the county in exchange for the right to collect the debt.
- There is a specific period of time in which the delinquent homeowner must repay the debt. Generally, the lien holder is not allowed to contact the owner, or anyone else with interest in the home (like a mortgage lender), or the certificate will be rendered forfeit. In some jurisdictions, not only must the homeowner pay the lien but they must pay off the unpaid property taxes as well. If the owner does not pay the lien in the allotted time, the lien holder can then commence proceedings for foreclosure.
- To purchase tax lien certificates, visit to the website of the corresponding county to get a list of the certificates that are going to be available at the next auction or sale. Another way to find the list you want is to search the county name and "tax lien certificate list." Specifics of sales and interest rates vary.
