If you are behind on property taxes in Bucks County, you can stop a tax sale by paying the taxes, by setting up a payment agreement with the Tax Claim Bureau, or by selling the house before the sale date. We Buy In Bucks can buy your house for cash and pay the back taxes at closing, and if you want to stay, our leaseback option lets you sell and rent the home back. Call (267) 751-9256 or request an offer below. There is no cost and no obligation.
Get Your Free Cash Offer
Two quick steps. No obligation, no fees.
How a Bucks County Tax Sale Works
Property taxes in Bucks County come from three places: the county, your township or borough, and your school district. County and municipal bills go out in early March and school bills in early July. If a bill is still unpaid at the end of the year, the local tax collector reports it, and the unpaid taxes become a lien on the property as of January 1 of the next year. The lien attaches automatically; nothing is filed in court.
From there, the Bucks County Tax Claim Bureau collects the debt, with interest and costs added. According to the Bureau, if the lien is still unpaid after 18 months, the property can be sold. In practice, that means houses with taxes about two years past due can end up on the list for the upset sale held every September, with a continued upset sale and a judicial sale each December. The sales are now held online, and the lists are advertised in mid-August in the Bucks County Law Reporter and local newspapers.
A tax sale is a public auction. The opening price is based on what is owed in taxes and costs, not on what the house is worth, so homes with real equity can sell for far less than market value. Once the sale goes through, you lose the house.
Your Options Before the Tax Sale
You usually have more time and more choices than it feels like. These are the main paths:
- Pay the delinquent taxes. The Tax Claim Bureau accepts partial payments in any amount. Taxes that are 18 months delinquent must be paid in certified funds directly to the Bureau.
- Sign an Agreement to Stay Sale. For properties at risk of sale, the Bureau offers a written agreement to pay all the delinquent taxes in quarterly payments over the next 12 months. If you can keep up with those payments and your other bills, this keeps you in your home as the owner.
- Sell the house for cash before the sale. We buy the house as-is, and the title company pays the back taxes, interest and costs, plus any mortgage, out of the sale at closing. Whatever is left is yours. That is often far more than you would see after a tax sale.
- Sell and stay with a leaseback. If you want to stay in the house, we buy it, pay off the taxes and any mortgage, and rent the home back to you under a written lease signed at closing. See how our sale-leaseback works.
Which option is right depends on how much you owe, what the house is worth, and what you can afford each month. If the Bureau’s payment plan works for your budget, it may be the best choice, and we will tell you so.
Selling Before the Tax Sale: How It Works
- Tell us about the house. Call (267) 751-9256 or fill out the form. Let us know the tax sale date if you have one, and any mortgage on the property.
- Get a written cash offer within 24 hours. If you are interested in staying, we include the proposed rent and lease length too, so you can see both numbers together.
- Close before the sale date. We can close in as little as 5 days through a licensed title company. The back taxes are paid at closing, and the property comes off the sale list.
Situations We Help With
- Two or more years of unpaid county, township or school taxes
- A house on the September upset sale list or the December sale list
- Inherited houses where the taxes stopped being paid after a parent passed away
- Owners who are behind on both property taxes and the mortgage
- Vacant houses, rentals or mobile homes with tax liens and other debts
- Houses that need repairs the owner cannot afford on top of the tax bill
Many of these situations overlap with mortgage trouble. If your lender has also started a foreclosure, read our page on how to stop foreclosure in Bucks County.
What You Should Know Before You Sign
- Selling means you are no longer the owner. With a leaseback you stay as a tenant under a written lease, and the lease sets the rent and how long you can stay.
- Know your equity. Compare our offer with what the house could bring on the open market. If you have time and a lot of equity, listing may leave you with more.
- Get independent advice. A HUD-approved housing counselor can review your options at no cost, and a Pennsylvania real estate attorney can review the paperwork.
We are a home buyer, not a government agency, and we do not offer loan modifications or tax relief programs. We cannot promise a specific outcome. What we can promise is a straight answer and a written offer you can read before you decide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far behind do I have to be before Bucks County can sell my house?
Unpaid taxes become a lien on January 1 of the year after they were billed. According to the Tax Claim Bureau, the property can be sold if the lien is still unpaid after 18 months. Upset sales are held each September, with additional sales in December.
Can I stop the sale if I am already on the list?
Often, yes. Paying the delinquent taxes, entering an Agreement to Stay Sale with the Bureau, or selling and paying the taxes at closing before the sale date can take the property off the list. Contact the Tax Claim Bureau at 215-348-6274 to confirm what is owed and the deadline for your property.
Can I sell my house and still live there?
Yes. With our sale-leaseback, we buy the house, pay off the taxes and any mortgage at closing, and you sign a lease and keep living in the home as our tenant. You see the rent and lease terms with our offer before you agree to anything.
Do I have to fix anything or clean out the house first?
No. We buy as-is, so you do not need to make repairs, clean, or remove belongings before closing.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Tax sale dates and rules can change; confirm the details for your property with the Bucks County Tax Claim Bureau.