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Behind on property taxes

Behind on property taxes in Detroit?

Wayne County forecloses on houses for unpaid property taxes, and once it does, the owner loses the house and usually the equity with it. Here's the timeline, how selling before the deadline protects your money, and the programs that help if you want to stay.

How the Wayne County timeline works

Michigan gives owners about two years after taxes go delinquent before foreclosure. Using the county's own timeline:

  1. March 1 after the tax year: unpaid taxes become delinquent and go to the Wayne County Treasurer. Fees and interest start.
  2. October 1: a $15 collection fee is added.
  3. The next March 1: the property is forfeited to the county. A $175 forfeiture fee and recording fees are added, and interest rises to 1.5% a month.
  4. That fall: a notice of the foreclosure hearings is served or posted on the house.
  5. January and February: show cause and judicial foreclosure hearings.
  6. March 31: the last day to pay everything owed and keep the house.
  7. April 1: the house is foreclosed. Title goes to the county and the owner loses all rights. Auctions follow in the fall.
Example: if your 2024 Detroit property taxes are still unpaid, the house was forfeited on March 1, 2026, and it will be foreclosed unless everything is paid by March 31, 2027. Taxes from 2025 that are still unpaid became delinquent on March 1, 2026.

Selling before foreclosure protects your equity

Selling before April 1 of the foreclosure year is what protects your money. At closing, the title company pays the county everything owed, and you get the rest.

Wait until after foreclosure and the county sells the house at auction. Former owners can try to claim leftover money from that sale, but it takes a notarized notice of intent filed with the Treasurer by July 1 of the foreclosure year, and then a motion in circuit court. It's slow, and you only get what the auction brings, minus the county's costs.

How it works with us

  1. You send the address. We look up what's owed on the house.
  2. We make a written cash offer showing the taxes that will be paid off and what you'll walk away with.
  3. If you accept, a licensed title company pays the Treasurer at closing and pays you the rest, on a date before the county's deadline.

The sooner you reach out, the more options you have. Close to the March 31 deadline, every week counts.

If you want to keep the house

If you can catch up, these can help:

  • Call the Wayne County Treasurer at (313) 224-5990 and ask what you owe and about payment plans and hardship extensions.
  • If your income is low, apply for the City of Detroit's HOPE exemption at detroitmi.gov/HOPE. It can cut current property taxes by 10% to 100% based on household income, it now can cover the previous year too, and you have to reapply every year. Homeowners approved for HOPE who are behind are also considered for Wayne County's Pay As You Stay (PAYS) plan.
  • Get free help. Detroit has nonprofit housing counselors who work on tax foreclosure every year; the Treasurer's office can refer you to its community partners.

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Dates and fees come from the Wayne County Treasurer's published forfeiture and foreclosure timeline; confirm your exact amount and deadlines with the Treasurer.

Quick answers

When does Wayne County foreclose for unpaid property taxes?

About two years after the taxes become delinquent. Unpaid taxes are forfeited on March 1 the year after they go delinquent, and the house is foreclosed on April 1 of the following year unless everything is paid by March 31.

Can I sell my Detroit house if I'm behind on property taxes?

Yes, as long as it hasn't been foreclosed yet. The taxes owed are paid from the sale at closing and you keep the rest.

Other situations we buy in: Inherited houses · Rentals with tenants · Fire-damaged houses · Blight tickets & code violations · Divorce · Vacant houses · Mortgage foreclosure