Sell a Dallas House With Back Taxes

Delinquent taxes come out of the sale. Here's how the numbers actually work.

Property taxes in Dallas are high enough that falling one year behind can turn into a five-figure problem before you've noticed. The county's collection law firm sends letters, then files suit, then the house is on the sheriff's sale list. Meanwhile the amount owed keeps growing every month.

No repairs, no cleaning

No fees or commissions

Close in as little as 7 days

Written offer, no obligation

Got it — thank you.

Mike Jackson will call or text you shortly, usually within the hour during the day. If it's urgent, call (972) 954-6120 now.

Prefer to talk? (972) 954-6120 — you'll get Mike, not a call center.

What you should know

How a $5,000 tax bill becomes $8,000

Taxes are due by January 31. On February 1 they're delinquent and the penalty-and-interest schedule starts: 7% in February, rising a point a month to 12% in June. On July 1 the county's collection firm adds its fee — up to 20% of everything owed — on top. Interest keeps accruing at 1% per month for as long as the balance is open. So a bill that was $5,000 in January is roughly $6,000 by July, over $7,000 with the collection fee, and passing $8,000 a year later. Two years behind, and the collection fee is on both years.

Then the lawsuit. Dallas County uses an outside law firm, and once judgment is entered the property is scheduled for a sheriff's sale on a first Tuesday. Court costs get added too.

Three things to check before you decide anything

One: are you 65 or older, or disabled, and is this your homestead? If so, Texas lets you file a tax deferral affidavit with the appraisal district. It halts collection — no suit, no sale — for as long as you own and live in the house, with interest accruing at a low rate. Many people who qualify have never been told. Two: would the taxing units give you a payment plan? They usually will, over 12 to 36 months, and it stops the suit while you're current. Three: what's the house actually worth versus what you owe in taxes and mortgage combined? If there's meaningful equity, selling clears everything and puts the difference in your pocket; the two options above buy time but don't reduce the bill.

If it's already sold at tax sale

Don't assume it's over. If the property was your homestead, Texas gives you two years to redeem it — buy it back from the purchaser — at a 25% premium in the first year and 50% in the second. Other property gets 180 days. It's expensive but it's a real right, and an attorney should look at it quickly, because the premium steps up on the anniversary.

How the closing works

We pull the exact delinquent amount from the Dallas County Tax Office and the collection firm. Our offer is on the house as-is. At closing, the title company pays the taxing units directly, pays any mortgage, and any pending tax suit is dismissed. What's left is wired to you. If a sheriff's sale date is set, we've closed in time to stop it before — but the closer the date, the fewer days we have, so call early.

How it works

Reach out

A call, a text, or the form — whatever's easiest. We'll ask about the house and your timeline.

One visit, one number

We walk the property once, then send a written cash offer with the math behind it. No inspection games afterward.

Pick the closing date

Seven days out or three months out — your call. The title company handles the money and the deed.

Questions people ask us

The county already filed a lawsuit. Can I still sell?

Yes. Paying the taxes at closing resolves the suit. The attorney's fees that were added are part of the payoff.

I don't know how much I owe.

That's fine. Give us the address and we'll pull it — the tax office and the collection firm both publish balances.

The taxes are more than the house is worth.

Unusual in Dallas at today's values, but if it's true we'll say so and walk you through the deferral and payment-plan routes instead of pretending a sale works.

Do you buy houses with both back taxes and a mortgage?

Yes. Both are liens, both get paid at closing from the sale price. What matters is whether the house is worth more than the two combined.

Who you're dealing with

Mike Jackson here. I buy houses — including Dallas for my own account — not for a fund, not for a franchise. The number you call rings my phone, and the person who walks the house is the person who signs the check.

I'd rather lose a deal by being straight with you than win one by being clever. If listing the house would put more in your pocket, I'll say that. If a cash sale makes sense, you'll get a written offer with the math on it and a closing date you pick.