Selling a House With Delinquent Property Taxes in Missouri
Yes. Back taxes on a Missouri house are paid from the sale at closing. Missouri property taxes are due December 31. What happens after that depends on where the house is. In St. Louis City, delinquent property goes into a land tax suit, and about a year later the sheriff sells it, subject to a court confirmation hearing. In St. Louis County and most of the state, the county collector holds an annual tax sale in late August, and after a first or second offering, the owner generally has a period to redeem. Either way, a sale before the tax sale keeps your equity.
Reviewed by Dennis Fassett, founder of Dennis Buys Houses · Updated November 2026
For Missouri owners and heirs behind on property taxes, with notes on St. Louis City and St. Louis County. General information, not legal advice. Your collector of revenue runs the process.
How Unpaid Taxes Reach a Sale
- 1December 31
Missouri property taxes are due by the end of the year.
- 2Delinquency
Interest and penalties start January 1.
- 3Collection track
A land tax suit in St. Louis City, or the collector's delinquent land list and sale in counties like St. Louis County.
- 4Sale
A sheriff's sale in the city, or the collector's annual tax sale in the county.
- 5Confirmation or redemption
Depending on the track.
St. Louis City's Land Tax Suits
In St. Louis City, when a parcel becomes delinquent it's subject to a suit filed by the Collector of Revenue, and the sale happens about a year after the suit is filed. The Sheriff runs the sale, and the buyer has to bring an appraiser to a court confirmation hearing before getting a deed. (City of St. Louis – Delinquent Land Tax Suit and Sale Schedule and City of St. Louis Sheriff – Land Tax Sale Guidelines) Properties that don't sell can end up with the city's Land Reutilization Authority. If your house is in a pending suit, call the Collector of Revenue for a payoff right away.
St. Louis County and the Rest of the State
Most Missouri counties, including St. Louis County, follow the state's collector's sale rules: the delinquent land list is published, and the collector holds an annual tax sale in late August. After a first or second offering sale, the owner generally has a period to redeem by paying the buyer the purchase price plus interest and costs. A property that reaches a third offering can be sold without redemption. (RSMo § 140.340)
Where the house sits in Missouri decides how the tax sale works. In either system, paying or selling before the sale is far cheaper than fixing it afterward.
Want a Number to Compare Against?
Let me know what's owed and whether a suit or sale is scheduled. I'll give you an as-is figure to compare with paying it off, and I'll tell you if keeping the house is the better play.
Get the Numbers
Call the collector of revenue for a payoff, ask whether the house is in a suit or on the delinquent list, and find out the sale date. Ask about any senior property tax credit or freeze you may qualify for.
Surplus After a Tax Sale
When a Missouri tax sale brings more than the taxes and costs, the surplus is held by the county treasury for the owner, and unclaimed money can eventually escheat. (RSMo § 140.230) In the city, ask about surplus at the confirmation stage. Claim it yourself; be cautious about finders who want a large cut.
Keep It or Sell It
Keep It
If you can pay off the delinquency, or redeem, and stay current, do it.
Sell It
If the taxes, repairs and insurance are more than you can carry, a sale pays the taxes at closing and keeps the rest of your equity.
When the house needs work or a tax sale is scheduled, an as-is sale can close before it. Selling as-is to a real estate investor strips out most of the work: there are no showings to prep for, no repair bids to collect, no truckloads to the dump, and the closing lands when you want it to. Dennis Buys Houses doesn't make you clean out. Take what you want to keep and leave the rest behind; we'll take it from there. If we come across anything personal or valuable, we'll make sure you get it.
Selling Before Confirmation or Redemption Ends
In some cases you still have time after the sale: before confirmation in the city, or during redemption in the county. The title company will need the exact amount to clear it. Act early; these windows are short and technical.
An Inherited House With Back Taxes
Taxes often fall behind after a death. Get authority in place, then deal with the taxes before a suit or sale. (See How to Sell a House in Probate in Missouri and Selling an Inherited House in Missouri.)
Back Taxes vs. Foreclosure
These are separate. A mortgage foreclosure in Missouri is usually faster than a tax sale, so if you're behind on both, the mortgage is likely the bigger clock. (See Selling a House in Foreclosure in Missouri.)
Common Mistakes
- Ignoring a land tax suit in the city.
- Assuming every county works like St. Louis City, or vice versa.
- Letting a property reach a third offering.
- Not claiming surplus.
- Missing a senior tax credit or freeze.
- Waiting until after the sale to act.
Where I Fit, and Where I Don't
Missouri owners usually call me when several years have piled up, a land tax suit or collector's sale is coming, the house needs work, or it was inherited.
Also, there's no need to empty the house for Dennis Buys Houses. Anything you leave, we take care of.
If you live there and can pay it off and stay current, that's usually better than selling, and I'll tell you.
However it shakes out, I'll tell you upfront if I'm a good fit or not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The taxes, interest and costs are paid from the sale at closing.
December 31 each year.
Through land tax suits, with a sheriff's sale about a year after the suit and a court confirmation hearing.
No. With an as-is sale, take what you want; Dennis Buys Houses handles what's left.
Through the collector's annual tax sale in late August, with a redemption period after a first or second offering.
It's held for the owner, so claim it. Unclaimed surplus can escheat.
For the city: City of St. Louis – Delinquent Land Tax Suit and Sale Schedule and City of St. Louis Sheriff – Land Tax Sale Guidelines. Statewide: RSMo § 140.340 (redemption) and RSMo § 140.230 (surplus).
Missouri Selling Guides
- How to Sell a House in Probate in Missouri
- Selling an Inherited House in Missouri
- Selling a Vacant House in Missouri
- Selling a House With Bad Tenants in Missouri
- Selling a House in Foreclosure in Missouri
Behind on Missouri Property Taxes?
Tell me what's owed and where things stand. I'll send a firm as-is number, or tell you to pay it off if that's the smarter move.