Right of Redemption After Tax Foreclosure in Michigan
In Michigan tax foreclosure, your right to redeem ends on March 31 of the foreclosure year, when the county takes title. If you contested the foreclosure in court, it ends 21 days after the judgment. There's no redemption period after that and none after the auction, which is the opposite of mortgage foreclosure. After March 31, all that's left is a claim for any leftover auction money.
Reviewed by Dennis Fassett, founder of Dennis Buys Houses · Updated November 2026
This page is part of the Selling a House With Delinquent Property Taxes in Michigan guide, which has the 2027 deadline table. This one is about the redemption deadline.
What "Redeem" Means
Redeeming means paying everything owed before the deadline so the county doesn't take the house. By then it's much more than the original bill: the back taxes, interest, the 4% and $175 fees, and recording and notice costs. Get the exact payoff, good through a specific date, from the county treasurer.
Forfeiture Isn't the End
Forfeiture on March 1 doesn't take the house. You can still redeem, or sell, until the foreclosure deadline a year later. (How each stage works.)
The March 31 Deadline
- Uncontested casesThe judgment takes effect, the right to redeem ends, and the county takes title on March 31.
- Contested casesIf you appeared and contested the foreclosure, redemption ends 21 days after the judgment.
- After thatNo redemption, and no post-auction redemption period. Only a claim for leftover proceeds.
Tax redemption ends before the auction, not after it. Don't apply mortgage-foreclosure rules here.
Want a Number to Compare Against?
Tell me about the house and which tax years are behind. I'll give you a straight as-is number, and tell you if keeping it or listing it makes more sense.
Selling Before the Deadline
You can sell any time before your right to redeem ends. The taxes are paid at closing. Work backward from the deadline and leave room for:
- The title search and the treasurer's payoff letter
- Other liens, a mortgage payoff, or more than one owner
- Probate authority if the house was inherited
- A buyer's mortgage approval and appraisal, if you list
When the deadline is close, selling as-is to a real estate investor is often the only route that fits: no mortgage approval, no repairs, no showings, and a closing date you pick.
Will the County Extend It?
Don't count on it. Ask the treasurer whether any payment plan or foreclosure-avoidance option is available, and get any agreement in writing.
After March 31: Leftover Proceeds
Once the county takes title, you can claim money left over if the house sells at auction for more than was owed. File Form 5743 with the county by July 1 after the foreclosure, then a motion in circuit court the next year. (How the auction works.)
Where I Fit, and Where I Don't
I'm usually a good fit when the deadline is close, when the house needs work or is vacant or inherited, or when you just don't want to deal with it anymore.
I may not be a good fit if you want to keep the house and can catch up on a payment plan, if one's available, or if it's in good shape and there's time to list it. In these cases a payment plan or a traditional listing will likely serve you better.
Either way — I'll tell you directly whether or not I'm a good fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Until March 31 of the foreclosure year in an uncontested case, or 21 days after the judgment if you contested it. There's no redemption after that.
No. Redemption ends before the auction.
No. Mortgage foreclosure has a redemption period after the sheriff's sale. Tax foreclosure ends before any sale.
No. The sale has to close, and the taxes have to be paid, before the deadline.
File Form 5743 with the county by July 1 to claim any leftover auction proceeds.
Michigan Treasury – Property Tax Forfeiture and Foreclosure, its foreclosure process timeline, and Taxpayer Resources (including leftover-proceeds claims).
Michigan Property Tax Guides
- Selling a House With Delinquent Property Taxes in Michigan (Full Guide)
- What Is the Michigan General Property Tax Act?
- Can You Lose Your Home Over $500 in Unpaid Taxes?
- Tax Deed Sale vs. Tax Lien Sale in Michigan
- How Property Taxes Work for Inherited Homes
- Property Tax Hardship Options by County
Racing the March 31 Deadline?
Tell me about the house and your deadline. I'll tell you straight whether a sale can close in time, and what I'd pay.