If I do not pay my property taxes, can the County take my home?

If you do not pay your property taxes, you are at risk of losing your home.

Property taxes are late on April 1. The amount due after your taxes are late includes a 3% interest charge.

If the taxes remain unpaid after April 1, the property will be advertised once a week for three weeks in a row. After this advertisement period, a tax certificate sale is held on or before June 1 each year. If you do not pay by 5 p.m. on the business day before the date of the certificate sale, a certificate will be issued. More charges will be added to what you owe, including charges for advertising the tax sale.

A tax certificate is a lien (a debt) against the property for unpaid property taxes.

The tax certificate sale allows others to buy a tax certificate by paying the tax debt you owe. The bidder who pays the tax debt and accepts the lowest rate of interest on the debt gets the certificate. If there are no bidders, your county keeps the certificate at 18% annual interest.