How to Sell My House With Delinquent Taxes In Virginia: What Your Family Needs to Know Before Time Runs Out

If you're searching for a way to sell you house with delinquent taxes in Virginia, there's a good chance you're already feeling the weight of a situation that crept up faster than anyone expected. Maybe the property belonged to a parent who passed away. Maybe taxes went unpaid for a year or two while the family figured out what to do next. Maybe you just received a notice in the mail that felt like a countdown clock. Whatever brought you here, you're not alone — and the situation is not hopeless.

Delinquent property taxes are one of the most common and least talked-about problems that families face with inherited or jointly owned real estate in Virginia. The process moves quietly at first, then suddenly very fast. Understanding what's happening legally — and knowing your real options — can make the difference between losing a property with nothing to show for it and walking away with money in your pocket and your family's dignity intact.

What's Actually Happening Legally

Virginia law gives localities significant power to collect unpaid property taxes. Under Va. Code Ann. § 58.1-3965, a locality may file a lawsuit to force the sale of any property where taxes have been delinquent for one year (for properties with a structure) or three years (for vacant land). This is not a bluff. Courts in Virginia routinely enter orders authorizing a commissioner of sale to sell the property at public auction — often for far less than market value — and the proceeds go first to the taxing authority, with any remainder distributed to the legal owners.

What makes this especially painful for families is that the notice requirements, while legally sufficient, are easy to miss. Notices may be mailed to an old address, published in a local newspaper, or sent to an estate that has no active executor. We've spoken with family members who had absolutely no idea their property was weeks away from a tax sale. By the time they found out, the window to act was almost closed.

Your Options When Selling a House with Delinquent Taxes in Virginia

It's important to understand that you do have choices here — even if it doesn't feel that way right now. Here is an honest look at what those choices are:

1. Do nothing. This is technically an option, but it carries serious consequences. If taxes remain unpaid and no action is taken, the locality will eventually proceed with a court-ordered sale. You will likely receive little or nothing after the taxes, penalties, and legal fees are paid.

2. Pay the taxes yourself. If the amount is manageable and the title is in good order, paying the delinquent taxes directly to the locality is the cleanest solution. This stops the sale and preserves your options. Check with the treasurer's office, or attorney's like TACS, to get an exact payoff figure, including all penalties and interest.

3. Sell the property on the traditional market. If there's enough time and the title is clean, listing with a real estate agent is a viable path. However, most buyers using conventional financing will require clear title and a standard closing timeline — typically 30 to 60 days or more. If the tax sale is imminent, this window may not exist.

4. Work with a specialized buyer. Companies like Simple Home Relief are built specifically for situations like this one. We can pay the delinquent taxes, work through title complications, and close quickly — sometimes in a matter of days. This isn't the right fit for every situation, but for families facing an urgent deadline or a complicated title, it is often the most realistic path forward.
   

Why a Specialized Buyer Often Makes the Most Sense

What sets Simple Home Relief apart is not just speed — it's the ability to handle the kinds of problems that stop traditional buyers and conventional lenders cold.

For starters, we self-insure title. That means we don't require a clean title commitment before we can proceed. Traditional buyers need a title insurance company to sign off on the property, and title companies routinely refuse to insure properties with delinquent taxes, probate complications, or unclear ownership. We remove that bottleneck entirely.

We also employ professional genealogists. Many properties with tax problems also have ownership complications — missing heirs, deceased co-owners, or family members whose whereabouts are unknown. We have the in-house expertise to locate those individuals and help bring everyone to the table.

Perhaps most importantly, we can purchase partial or fractional interests. If a property is owned by multiple heirs and not everyone agrees on what to do, we don't require unanimous consent to move forward. We can work with the willing parties and create a path where others may follow.

We've worked with families where the tax sale was scheduled within days. In one case, we stepped in and paid the taxes directly to stop the auction, then gave the family the time and breathing room they needed to get their affairs in order before selling the property.

In another situation, a family member reached out to us after receiving a call from us — she had no idea the property was on the delinquent tax list and had no idea how close it was to being sold at auction. We walked her through everything! She had no need for our services, but we helped anyway. At the end of the day, we want to see properties saved and loved. If that doesn't happen with our help, we understand!

What the Process Looks Like with Simple Home Relief

We know that reaching out to a company you've never heard of can feel like one more unknown in an already stressful situation. We want you to know what to expect.

It starts with a conversation — no commitment, no pressure. You can call us, fill out a form on our website, or simply send a message describing your situation. We'll listen. From there, we do our own research on the property, including the tax status, ownership history, and any title complications. We come back to you with an honest assessment and, if it makes sense, a fair offer.

If you accept, we move quickly. We handle the tax payoff, the title work, and the closing logistics. You don't need to hire an attorney, find a title company, or navigate the county treasurer's office on your own. We've done this before — many times — and we'll guide you through every step.

Closing can happen in days, not months. And there's never any obligation to accept our offer. On our first call, we'll go over all of your options and give you ideas on how to solve the issue yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sell a house if the property taxes are years behind?

Yes, in most cases you can. Delinquent taxes do not automatically prevent a sale — they are typically paid out of the sale proceeds at closing. The key is acting before the court confirms a tax sale, which can extinguish your ownership rights. The sooner you reach out to someone who understands this process, the more options you'll have.

What if the property is owned by multiple family members and we can't all agree?

This is very common. Simple Home Relief can purchase partial or fractional interests, meaning we can work with willing owners even if others are not participating. We've helped families navigate disagreements, locate unreachable relatives, and find paths forward that protect everyone's interests as much as possible.

How do I find out how much in delinquent taxes is owed?

Contact the county or city treasurer's office where the property is located. They can provide a current payoff figure that includes all penalties and interest. They might direct you to the attorney's office who is handling the foreclosure process - they might have your property file already. You can also ask us — if you give us the property address, we can often pull this information quickly as part of our initial research.

Are you going to just offer a really low amount for my house?

Potentially, yes and potentially no. Each situation is unique. If you bring us a mess with a huge tax bill and the property isn't worth much, you're not going to get much in an offer, or even an offer at all! However, we have multiple different offer strategies that could work in your situation. It doesn't hurt to ask what we would offer and there is no obligation to work with us if you request it.

If you've made it this far, you already know more than most families do when they're in this situation — and that knowledge matters. You have more time to think clearly and more options than you may have realized. When you're ready to talk, we're here. No pressure, no jargon, just a straightforward conversation about what's possible. Visit us at simplehomerelief.com whenever you're ready.