Behind on Property Taxes in Florida? How Tax Certificates and Tax Deeds Work

A job loss, a medical bill, a doubled insurance premium, or a house inherited from a parent who stopped paying can all leave a property tax bill unpaid. In Florida, unpaid taxes follow a set process that can eventually end with the house sold at a public auction. The good news is that the process takes time, and owners usually have options along the way.

The tax bill and the delinquency date

Florida property tax bills go out each fall, generally around November 1. Taxes that are still unpaid by April 1 of the following year become delinquent, and interest and fees start to be added.

The tax certificate sale

If the taxes stay unpaid, the county Tax Collector holds a tax certificate sale, usually in late spring. A tax certificate is not a sale of your house. An investor pays your delinquent taxes to the county, and in return gets a certificate that earns interest. The certificate is a lien on your property, and you still own the house.

Each year the taxes go unpaid, another certificate can be sold, so the amount needed to catch up keeps growing.

Tax deed application and auction

After a certificate has been outstanding for about two years, the certificate holder can apply for a tax deed. That's the step that can lead to a public auction of the property through the county Clerk. Until the tax deed sale actually happens, the owner can generally still redeem by paying the back taxes, interest, and fees owed.

Exact timing, amounts, and notice rules depend on your county and your specific case. You can look up your status on the Tax Collector and Clerk websites for Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach County. If you've received a notice about a tax deed application or a sale date, take it seriously and act quickly.

Many South Florida homeowners who fall behind on taxes have a lot of equity, especially long-time owners and families with inherited homes that have no mortgage. If the house goes to a tax deed sale, you lose control of the price and the timing.

Selling on your own terms before a tax deed sale usually means the back taxes, certificates, and other liens get paid at closing, and any remaining equity goes to you.

Pay or redeem. If you can catch up, contact your county Tax Collector for the exact payoff.

Ask about payment programs. Florida offers an installment payment plan for current-year taxes if you sign up in advance, and the Tax Collector can explain what applies to your situation.

List the house. If the house is in good condition and there's enough time before any tax deed sale, listing with an agent may bring the highest price. The taxes are paid from the proceeds at closing.

Sell as-is to a cash buyer. If the house needs work, has other liens on it, or the timeline is tight, a cash sale can close without repairs, showings, or waiting on a buyer's mortgage. The trade-off is that a cash offer accounts for repairs and risk, so it will usually be less than a fixed-up house would bring on the open market.

When taxes are behind, other problems are often in the picture too: code enforcement liens, unpaid water or utility liens, judgments, or a mortgage that's also behind. All of these generally have to be paid or resolved at closing. If you're also dealing with code cases, see selling a house with code violations. If your lender has started a foreclosure, see selling a house in foreclosure.

• Your folio or parcel number from the county Property Appraiser.
• Your tax status from the Tax Collector, including how many years are unpaid and any certificates sold.
• Any tax deed application or sale date from the Clerk.
• Your mortgage payoff, if there is one, and any other liens you know about.
• If the owner has passed away, a copy of the death certificate and a list of heirs. See selling before probate.

Prop Hunters is a cash buyer based in Miami Lakes, buying throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. We buy houses with back taxes and tax certificates, along with code liens, judgments, and other title issues, and the taxes and liens are paid from the sale at closing. We price off recorded sales near the property and the real work the house needs. We don't buy condos.

Se habla español. We're glad to talk with you in English or Spanish.

If you're behind on property taxes and want to know where you stand, there's no obligation to talk. Read more on our back taxes and tax liens page, or call or text us at (305) 812-9445. If a tax deed sale is scheduled, tell us the date right away.