Behind on property taxes in Michigan?

How Michigan property tax foreclosure works

Michigan operates on a three-year delinquency cycle. When property taxes go unpaid, the county treasurer takes over collection. After three years of delinquency, the county can foreclose and the owner loses the property -- with no right of redemption and no proceeds from the county's subsequent sale.

The critical deadline is March 31 of the foreclosure year. Once that date passes, the county takes title and you receive nothing. A sale before that date -- even a week before -- preserves your equity and stops the process entirely.

Note: tax foreclosure timelines and specific procedures vary by county. Verify current deadlines with your county treasurer or a Michigan real estate attorney before making decisions based on timing.

What happens at closing

When we buy your property, the title company pays all outstanding tax delinquencies, penalties, and interest directly from the sale proceeds before you receive anything. You don't need to come to closing with a check. The delinquency is cleared as part of the transaction, and you walk away with whatever equity remains after the payoff.

Why speed matters here

Options shrink as the deadline approaches. In the early stages of delinquency, you have time to list with an agent, negotiate, and wait for a buyer's financing. Closer to the March 31 foreclosure date, a cash buyer who can close in one to two weeks may be the only realistic option. We've worked with homeowners who had days left before the deadline -- reach out early if you can.

What we need from you

The address, an honest description of the property's condition, and a sense of your timeline. We can look up the tax delinquency amount ourselves from public county records. You don't need to gather paperwork before calling.

Counties we serve

We work throughout southeastern Michigan. Each county -- Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Livingston, Monroe, and St. Clair -- has its own treasurer and slightly different procedures. We're familiar with all of them.