Selling a House With Delinquent Property Taxes in Florida
Yes, you can sell a Florida house with back taxes; they're paid at closing. Florida property taxes are due November 1 and become delinquent April 1. Unpaid taxes don't lead straight to losing the house. Instead, the county sells a tax certificate, usually by June 1, to an investor who pays the taxes and earns interest. Two years later, the certificate holder can apply for a tax deed, which leads to a public auction. You can redeem any time before the tax deed is issued, and selling before then keeps your equity.
Reviewed by Dennis Fassett, founder of Dennis Buys Houses · Updated November 2026
For Florida owners and heirs who are behind on property taxes. General information, not legal advice. Your county tax collector and clerk of court run the process.
The Florida Property Tax Calendar
- 1November 1
Taxes are due. Paying early earns a discount: 4% in November, stepping down to 1% in February. (Fla. Stat. § 197.162)
- 2April 1
Unpaid taxes become delinquent. (Fla. Stat. § 197.333) Interest runs at up to 18% a year until a certificate is sold. (Fla. Stat. § 197.172)
- 3The certificate sale
The tax collector sells certificates, often online, typically by June 1. Bidders bid the interest rate down from 18%. (Fla. Stat. § 197.432)
- 4Two years later
The certificate holder can apply for a tax deed. (Fla. Stat. § 197.502)
- 5Tax deed auction
The clerk auctions the property. Your right to redeem ends when the tax deed is issued.
What a Tax Certificate Means for You
A tax certificate is a lien, not a deed. The investor paid your taxes and now earns interest on that money; you still own the house. To clear it, you redeem through the tax collector by paying the face amount plus interest and costs. There's a 5% minimum interest charge in most cases, even if the bid rate was lower. (Fla. Stat. § 197.472) You can redeem any time before a tax deed is issued.
A Florida tax certificate gives you time, about two years before anyone can even apply for a tax deed, but the interest and the next year's taxes keep stacking up.
Want a Number to Compare Against?
Tell me what's owed and about the house. I'll give you an as-is number to compare with redeeming, and tell you which makes more sense.
Talk to the Tax Collector
Ask what's owed, which years are delinquent, whether a certificate has been sold and to whom, whether anyone has applied for a tax deed, and what the payoff is today. Some counties offer installment payment plans for future taxes; ask what's available.
When a Tax Deed Application Is Filed
Once a certificate holder applies, the clerk schedules a tax deed sale and sends notices. This is the stage to act. You can still redeem, or sell and pay off the certificates at closing, right up until the tax deed issues. Homestead property has extra protections in the bidding, but the deadline is the same.
Money Left After a Tax Deed Sale
If a tax deed auction brings more than what's owed, the excess is held by the clerk for the owner and lienholders to claim. Claim it directly; you don't need a third-party recovery service.
Keep It or Sell It
Keep It
If you can redeem the certificates and stay current, do it, and make sure your homestead exemption is still active. Losing it, or a Save Our Homes reset, can raise the bill.
Sell It
If the taxes, insurance and repairs are more than you can carry, selling pays the certificates and taxes at closing and keeps the rest.
When the house needs work or a tax deed application is pending, an as-is sale can close in time. If you want the least hassle, sell it as-is to a real estate investor: no open houses, no repair punch list, nothing to clear out, and you decide when to close. With Dennis Buys Houses, leaving things behind is part of the deal. Grab what you care about and leave the rest. If anything we find looks personal or valuable, we'll reach out and get it back to you.
Taxes Are Only Half the Florida Problem
Many Florida owners who fall behind on taxes are also squeezed by insurance premiums. If you've dropped coverage and there's a mortgage, the lender may force-place an expensive policy. If there's no mortgage, an uninsured house in hurricane season is a big gamble.
Inherited House With Back Taxes
When the owner dies, the homestead exemption ends, and taxes often go unpaid while the family sorts things out. Heirs can redeem certificates. Confirm who has authority, then deal with the taxes before anyone applies for a tax deed. (See How to Sell a House in Probate in Florida and Selling an Inherited House in Florida.)
Tax Certificates vs. Mortgage Foreclosure
A tax certificate is separate from a mortgage. If you're behind on both, the mortgage foreclosure is usually the faster threat. (See Selling a House in Foreclosure in Florida.)
Common Mistakes
- Thinking a tax certificate means you lost the house.
- Ignoring the notice of a tax deed application.
- Letting several years of certificates pile up.
- Losing the homestead exemption without noticing.
- Paying a stranger to claim surplus money you can claim yourself.
- Dropping insurance to pay taxes, or the other way around.
Where I Fit, and Where I Don't
I help most when certificates have piled up, a tax deed application is pending, the house needs work, or it's inherited or vacant.
And with Dennis Buys Houses, there's no clean-out. Whatever you leave, we'll deal with.
If you live there and can redeem and stay current, that's usually the better choice, and I'll say so.
Either way, I'll tell you upfront if I'm the right fit or not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Back taxes and any tax certificates are paid off at closing.
They're due November 1 and delinquent April 1.
An investor pays your taxes and earns interest. You still own the house and can redeem until a tax deed is issued.
No. With an as-is sale, you can take what matters to you and leave the rest. Dennis Buys Houses handles what's left.
They can apply for a tax deed two years after April 1 of the year the certificate was issued, which leads to an auction.
The surplus is held by the clerk for the former owner and lienholders to claim.
Your county tax collector handles payoffs and certificates. Leon County Tax Collector – Annual Tax Sale explains the annual sale. Key statutes: Fla. Stat. § 197.472 (redemption) and Fla. Stat. § 197.502 (tax deeds).
Florida Selling Guides
- How to Sell a House in Probate in Florida
- Selling an Inherited House in Florida
- Selling a Vacant House in Florida
- Selling a House With Bad Tenants in Florida
- Selling a House in Foreclosure in Florida
Behind on Florida Property Taxes?
Tell me what's owed and where it stands. You'll get a straight as-is number, and if redeeming is the better answer, I'll tell you.