We proudly serve Oklahoma County and the surrounding metro — including the counties of Cleveland, Canadian, Logan, Grady, McClain, Kingfisher, Lincoln, and Pottawatomie.
Contact Us
House Buyers OKC
We Buy Houses In Oklahoma City As-Is
Sell a House With Back Taxes or Liens in Oklahoma
We Buy Houses With Back Taxes or Liens As-Is for Cash, With No Repairs and No Fees
We proudly serve the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding area, covering nine counties: Oklahoma, Cleveland, Canadian, Logan, Grady, McClain, Kingfisher, Lincoln, and Pottawatomie.
- No Repairs
- No Fees
- We Cover Closing Costs
- You Choose the Closing Date
We Buy Houses With Back Taxes or Liens In Oklahoma City In Any Condition
You Choose the Closing Date. No Repairs, No Fees, and We Cover All Your Closing Costs.
Fill Out the Short Form to Get Started
Get Your Cash Offer Today
Local, Family Owned
Nine Oklahoma Counties Served
We Buy In Any Condition
Cash Offer, No Fees
To sell a house with back taxes in Oklahoma, you do not have to pay the taxes first. Back taxes and most liens are paid out of the sale at closing, so the debt comes off the property and you walk away with whatever is left.
Most owners who call us about back taxes did not ignore the bill on purpose. A parent passed away and nobody knew the taxes were due, money got tight for a year or two, or a rental stopped paying for itself. Meanwhile the interest kept adding up, and now a letter from the county has made it feel urgent.
House Buyers OKC is a local, family owned company that has bought houses with back taxes and liens across the Oklahoma City metro for over a decade. What follows is how Oklahoma's tax sale works, which liens can be paid at closing, and how a sale actually comes together.
Local · Family Owned01
Can you sell a house with back taxes in Oklahoma?
Yes, you can sell a house with back taxes in Oklahoma. The title company pulls the amount owed to the county treasurer, and that amount is paid from the sale proceeds at closing.
Selling as-is means:
- No repairs, no paint, no roof work, no foundation work
- No maintenance or upkeep of any kind, including lawn care and utilities
- No cleanout, and no hauling anything away
- No showings, no open houses, and no listing photos
- Furniture, appliances, and personal belongings can stay
You do not need to bring cash to the table to clear the taxes. That is the part that surprises most owners.
02
How long before the county sells a house for back taxes in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma gives owners more time than many states, but the clock does run out. A house can be sold at the county tax resale once the taxes have gone unpaid for three years or more.
How the timeline generally works:
- Property taxes come due on November 1, and they become delinquent on January 1 if at least half has not been paid (Okla. Stat. tit. 68, § 2913)
- Delinquent taxes add interest at 1.5% per month, up to 100% of the original tax
- Once taxes are three years delinquent, the property becomes eligible for the county resale (Okla. Stat. tit. 68, § 3105)
- The resale is held each June, and the county publishes and mails notice before the sale (Okla. Stat. tit. 68, § 3125)
Oklahoma lets an owner redeem the property by paying the back taxes, interest, and costs any time before the resale auction starts (Okla. Stat. tit. 68, § 3113). Once the auction begins, that right is generally gone. Some older or disabled homeowners have added protections, so call your county treasurer if that applies to you.
If you have received a resale notice, call us right away. A sale needs time for title work, and the closer the auction gets, the fewer options there are.
03
What kinds of liens can be paid off when you sell?
Most liens that are recorded against a house can be paid off when you sell. The title search turns them up, the title company gets payoff amounts, and the payoffs come out of the proceeds at closing.
Liens we see often:
- Delinquent property taxes owed to the county
- Mortgages and home equity loans
- Judgment liens from lawsuits or old debts
- Contractor or mechanic's liens for unpaid work
- City code and abatement liens for mowing, cleanup, or demolition
- Federal or state tax liens
- Child support liens
Each one is handled a little differently, and some take longer to get a payoff from than others. The sooner the title company starts, the smoother the closing tends to go.
Talk It Through With a Local Buyer
Call or text and get a clear answer. No pressure and no obligation.
04
What if the liens add up to more than the house is worth?
Sometimes the taxes, mortgage, and other liens add up to more than a buyer can pay. When that happens, a straight cash sale may not cover everything.
What that can look like:
- Some lien holders will agree to accept less than the full amount so the sale can close
- An attorney may be able to tell you whether a lien is still valid or has expired
- A traditional listing may bring a higher price if the house is in good shape
- In some cases, selling is simply not the right answer
We will look at the numbers with you plainly. If a cash sale will not cover what is owed, we will tell you that up front rather than tie up your house in a contract that cannot close. Your attorney and the title company can help sort out what is negotiable.
05
What if you inherited a house with back taxes?
Inherited houses are one of the most common places we see back taxes. The person who passed may have fallen behind before they died, or the taxes stopped getting paid while the family sorted out the estate.
What to know:
- Back taxes stay with the property, not with the person who passed
- The heirs or the estate can sell the house and pay the taxes from the proceeds
- If the estate is in probate, the personal representative usually needs authority to sell first
- The three-year resale clock keeps running while the estate is being settled
Our guides on selling an inherited house and selling a house in probate walk through that side of it.
06
What if you are behind on the mortgage too?
Back taxes and missed mortgage payments often show up together. If the mortgage includes an escrow account, the lender may pay the taxes and add them to what you owe, which can push the loan further behind.
If you are also behind on your mortgage, our guide on selling a house before foreclosure covers your options and how the timing works in Oklahoma.
07
What does it cost to sell a house with back taxes to House Buyers OKC?
Selling to House Buyers OKC costs nothing out of pocket. There are no commissions, no fees, and we cover all your closing costs at the title company.
How the money works:
- No real estate commission, since the house is not listed on the MLS
- No repair or cleanout costs, since the house is purchased as-is
- Back taxes, liens, and mortgage balances are paid from proceeds at closing
- Remaining proceeds go to you, or to the heirs or estate if the house is inherited
We are also transparent about how the offer is calculated. When we walk the property, we base the number on recent comparable sales in the neighborhood and the estimated cost to bring the house to retail condition. If you want to see how we got there, we will walk you through it line by line.
Before you sign anything, we will also walk through the estimated payoffs with you, so you know roughly what you will walk away with.
08
How do you know a buyer can actually close?
Every seller should vet a buyer before signing anything, and this is worth hearing from someone on the buying side. With back taxes or liens, a buyer who over-promises can tie up your house while the resale date keeps getting closer.
A common pattern looks like this. An out-of-state buyer or a wholesaler bids well above every local investor to win the contract, then comes back near closing claiming the title work turned up more than expected, at a number at or below where the local offers started.
What to look at, with us or with anyone:
- The title company they use. Call that title company and ask whether this buyer actually closes deals there.
- The purchase agreement itself. Read it, or have someone read it for you. Watch for terms that bind you without binding them.
- The earnest money. Watch for a buyer who offers none at all, or a token amount like ten dollars with no deadline attached.
- How long they have before that earnest money goes hard. Any buyer should have a window to walk away, but it should be a reasonable one. Ten to fifteen days is fair. Twenty-five days means your house sits off the market while they decide whether they want it.
- Whether they are buying the house themselves or assigning the contract to someone else. Ask directly.
- Proof of funds or a lender approval letter, as a final check once everything else looks right. A legitimate buyer can produce one without hesitating.
A serious buyer asks about the taxes and liens before making a firm offer, not after.
You are under no obligation to take the highest offer. If you trust one buyer more but their number is lower, there is nothing wrong with telling them so and asking whether they can come up.
09
When would closing actually happen?
We schedule closing once title work clears, and the date is yours to pick. With back taxes, title work is where the payoffs get confirmed, so it is worth starting early.
How the timing works:
- We schedule closing once title work clears if speed is what you need
- If you need thirty or sixty days, we will wait
- If a resale date is coming, tell us and we will coordinate with the title company
- You are never pressured into a date that does not work for your family
The goal is to have time on your side rather than against you.
10
What areas does House Buyers OKC serve?
House Buyers OKC buys houses with back taxes and liens throughout the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding area, covering nine counties: Oklahoma County, Cleveland County, Canadian County, Logan County, Grady County, McClain County, Kingfisher County, Lincoln County, and Pottawatomie County.
That includes Edmond, Norman, Moore, Yukon, Midwest City, Shawnee, El Reno, and the smaller communities across all nine counties.
11
Get the numbers before the county does.
Call (405) 279-9799 or fill out the short form on this page. We will ask a few questions about the property and what is owed, then schedule a walkthrough at a time that works for you.
There is no cost and no obligation. If a cash offer is not the right fit, we will tell you that too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you sell a house with back taxes in Oklahoma?
Yes. Back taxes are paid from the sale proceeds at closing, so you do not need to pay them first. House Buyers OKC buys houses with back taxes as-is and covers all your closing costs, with no commissions or fees.
How many years of unpaid property taxes before Oklahoma sells your house?
In Oklahoma, a property can be sold at the county tax resale once taxes have gone unpaid for three years or more. The resale is held each June, and paying what is owed before the sale generally keeps the property out of the auction.
Can you sell a house with a lien on it in Oklahoma?
Yes. Most recorded liens, including judgments, contractor liens, and city liens, are found in the title search and paid from the proceeds at closing.
Can you sell an inherited house with back taxes?
Yes. Back taxes stay with the property, and the heirs or the estate can sell the house and pay them at closing. If the estate is in probate, the personal representative usually needs court authority to sell first.
Written by Michael David, owner of House Buyers OKC and a licensed Oklahoma real estate broker associate (OK License #159721). House Buyers OKC is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB ID 90124699).
Sources: Okla. Stat. tit. 68, § 3113 | Okla. Stat. tit. 68, § 2913 | Okla. Stat. tit. 68, § 3105 | Okla. Stat. tit. 68, § 3125
Ready for Your Cash Offer?
Call or text House Buyers OKC, or use the short form at the top of this page.