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How to find tax-delinquent properties
A tax-delinquent property is one whose owner has fallen behind on property taxes. Owners in that position are sometimes more open to a quick, fair sale, which is why investors look for them. The information is public, but it is scattered across thousands of county offices.
Where the information lives
Property taxes are collected by the county, usually through a tax collector or treasurer. Many counties publish a delinquent tax roll, a list of accounts with unpaid balances, on their website or on request. Some publish it only in the weeks before a tax sale.
The county assessor or appraisal district holds the ownership and mailing address records you will need to contact the owner.
Steps to build a list
- Pick one or two counties to start. Depth beats breadth.
- Find the county's delinquent list or search tool and download or copy the accounts.
- Match each account to its owner and mailing address in the assessor's records.
- Mark the ones where the mailing address differs from the property address, which often means an absentee owner.
- Skip trace the owners you want to contact and start outreach.
Things to check before you call
- How long the owner has to pay before the county can sell the property. Redemption periods and tax-sale rules differ by state.
- Whether a payment plan is in place. A property on a plan is usually a weaker lead.
- How much is owed compared with what the property is worth.
Where BAP fits
BAP collects delinquency records from the counties it covers and shows them as a signal on each lead, so you can filter instead of copying lists by hand. Coverage varies by county, and records are only as current as each county's publishing.
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules vary by state; check yours.