Delinquent taxes · San Diego & South Bay
Behind on property taxes in San Diego County? Here's how to sell before the tax debt becomes a tax sale.
California property taxes don't have Texas-style fast foreclosures, but the penalties add up and after five years of default the county can sell the property. Selling the house pays the taxes off at closing and leaves you with the equity.
How it works
Delinquent property taxes in San Diego County
General information for California homeowners, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Laws change and every situation differs — confirm with a California attorney, escrow or title company, or tax professional.
The bill
The County Assessor sets the value (Prop 13 limits increases while you own; a sale or an inheritance without the Prop 19 exclusion resets it). The Treasurer-Tax Collector bills in two installments, due November 1 and February 1, delinquent after December 10 and April 10.
Penalties
A penalty is added to each late installment, plus a redemption fee and monthly interest once the taxes become tax-defaulted at the end of the fiscal year.
Tax default
Unpaid taxes become “tax-defaulted” on July 1. The property is then subject to the county's power to sell after five years of default (three for some properties).
Tax sale
Tax-defaulted properties can be sold at public auction. Unlike a mortgage foreclosure, there is generally no redemption after the sale, so acting before the sale is critical.
Options
Ways to deal with delinquent taxes
Five-year installment plan
San Diego County lets most owners of tax-defaulted property open a redemption installment plan, which stops the power-to-sell clock as long as payments and current taxes are kept up.
Property Tax Postponement (PTP)
The State Controller's program lets eligible seniors and disabled homeowners defer current property taxes on their primary residence, with a lien and interest, if they meet equity and income limits.
Check the assessment
If the house was inherited and reassessed under Prop 19, confirm whether an exclusion applies. Owners can also appeal the assessed value with the Assessment Appeals Board.
Sell the property
A sale pays every year owed, plus penalties, interest, and fees, out of the proceeds at closing. The remaining equity is yours.
Selling with tax debt
How closing works when taxes are owed
Escrow orders a tax statement showing exactly what's owed, including redemption amounts, and pays it from the sale proceeds at closing. If a supplemental tax bill is pending from a reassessment, escrow prorates it. You don't have to come up with the money in advance.
If the property is already on the county's tax-sale list, contact us right away — timelines get short, and the sooner we know, the more we can do. If the taxes and other liens exceed what the house is worth, we'll say so plainly.
How it works
How selling to us works
- 1
Tell us about the house
Enter the address and answer a few quick questions — or just talk to us. You don't need to know anything about the market.
- 2
We look and we talk
We review comparable sales, do one walkthrough, and may ask a few questions. No pressure, no obligation.
- 3
Get a written offer and pick your date
If the house fits what we buy, you get a clear cash offer with the math behind it. Accept it or not — and if you do, close on your timeline.
FAQ
Questions San Diego homeowners ask
Can I sell if the property is tax-defaulted?
Yes, as long as it hasn't been sold at a tax sale yet. Escrow pays the redemption amount at closing.
How do I find out how much I owe?
The San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector's website shows balances by parcel, including penalties and redemption amounts.
What if I inherited the house and the taxes are years behind?
That's common. All the delinquent years get paid at closing. The estate or trust will also need authority to sell — see our inherited-house page.
Will you pay the taxes for me and let me stay?
No. Arrangements like that often end badly for the homeowner. We can buy the house and pay the taxes at closing, and we'll be clear about the numbers.
Go deeper
Guides for this situation
Related
Other situations we help with
- Before foreclosure
The California foreclosure timeline, the Homeowner Bill of Rights, options to stop it, and how a pre-foreclosure sale works.
- Inherited house
Probate vs. trust, heirs, the Prop 19 tax reassessment, and how to sell an inherited home as-is.
- Vacant house
What an empty house costs and risks, what the city expects of vacant-property owners, and how to sell it without going back to fix it.
- Sell my house fast
What actually makes a sale slow, and how a direct cash purchase removes those steps.
See what we could pay for your San Diego house.
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