Kanawha County Clerk ↗
This is the official Kanawha County Clerk page. Use it to begin a county-office inquiry or find the right contact for a local question.
Charleston, West Virginia · Kanawha County
Can I Sell My Charleston House With Back Taxes or Liens?
When you sell to us, we can set it up so you don't have to prepay anything — it comes out at closing. Yes. We buy houses as-is in Charleston and Kanawha County, including houses with back taxes or liens. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
You do not have to figure out every balance before talking with us. Start with the property address and the notice or payoff information you have.
Call 888-274-5006 to talk through the property.
Talk through your Charleston lien or tax question
Share the property address and whatever you know about the notice, lien, payoff, or tax account. You can call before you have every record.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Tell us the address and what you know about the notice, payoff, creditor, or tax account.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
Prefer to call? 888-274-5006.
How lien and tax payoffs work
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. Your liens are paid off from the sale at closing.
Your mortgage, liens, and back taxes are separate from the closing costs we pay. The current creditor or tax office confirms what is owed; applicable lien and back-tax payoffs come from the sale at closing, not from money you pay upfront.
Bring the records you have
A recent tax bill or delinquency notice, payoff letter, lien or court notice, mortgage statement, parcel information, and any sale notice can help identify the right balance and office. The creditor or tax office named on the notice confirms its current figures; the title company checks property records and payoff instructions for the transaction. You can call with just the address and the information in front of you.
If the payoff is more than the house is worth
Think the payoff is more than the house is worth? Ask us — we've gotten lenders to come down before.
What happens next
1. Talk through the property
Tell us the Charleston or Kanawha County address, what you know about the lien or tax notice, and what timing concerns you. Start with the information you have.
2. Review the house and written terms
We discuss the house as it stands and provide the offer and terms in writing before you commit. Read the proposed price, payoff treatment, responsibilities, and closing terms before deciding whether to proceed.
3. Let the title company check the details
If you choose to move forward, the title company reviews ownership and recorded claims for the transaction and coordinates with the relevant creditor or tax office for current payoff information.
4. Review the closing figures and close
The closing figures show the sale price, payoffs, taxes, and other applicable items. It's real estate. Sometimes there are bumps in the road. We won't disappear when that happens, and we'll be fighting to get this to the closing table.
Kanawha County office and West Virginia transfer-tax facts
A property-tax sale, a lender’s mortgage foreclosure, and the transfer excise tax due when a deed is transferred are separate matters. If you have a tax-sale or foreclosure notice, use the notice and contact the office that issued it to check the current status.
West Virginia real estate transfer excise tax
West Virginia charges an excise tax when title to real estate is transferred. The first county excise tax is $1.10 per $500 of value. An additional county excise tax of 55 cents per $500 applies, and a county commission may raise that additional amount to as much as $1.65. Each $500 or fraction counts, and value includes liens the buyer takes over. At the base rates the combined tax is $1.65 per $500: $330 on a $100,000 sale. In a county charging the maximum additional rate, it is $550 on a $100,000 sale. Have the title company confirm the rate and figures for your sale.
The county clerk collects a $20 Affordable Housing Fund fee before recording. The law says the seller pays the excise tax unless the buyer accepts the deed without the tax paid. Some transfers, including certain no-consideration transfers between close family members, are excluded. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including the West Virginia real estate transfer excise tax and the additional county excise tax. That promise does not include your mortgage, liens, back taxes, or your share of current property taxes.
Read West Virginia Code §11-22-2 → · See the definitions and exclusions in §11-22-1 →
Compare possible net proceeds
Use the Charleston home-sale net proceeds calculator with your own estimated value, mortgage payoff, lien or tax amount, repairs, cleanout, carrying costs, and closing costs. Just an estimate — the actual number could be more or less depending on the home's condition.
What sellers say about USA Home Buyers
Charleston property liens and back taxes questions
Can I sell my Charleston house with back taxes or liens?
Yes. When you sell to us, we can set it up so you don't have to prepay anything — it comes out at closing. We buy houses with back taxes and liens; payoff amounts are handled through the sale at closing.
Who checks how much is owed on a lien or back taxes?
The creditor or tax office named on your notice can confirm the current balance and payoff instructions. The title company reviews the property records and works with the relevant parties on the figures needed for closing.
What records should I have when I call?
Start with the property address and whatever you have: a tax bill or notice, lien or court notice, mortgage statement, payoff letter, parcel information, or sale notice. You can call before you have every document or figure.
Is a property-tax sale the same as a mortgage foreclosure?
No. A property-tax sale and a lender’s mortgage foreclosure are separate proceedings. A West Virginia real estate transfer excise tax is a different tax connected to transferring a deed. Check the notice and its issuing office for the current matter and status.
What if the payoff is more than my house is worth?
Think the payoff is more than the house is worth? Ask us — we've gotten lenders to come down before.
What happens after I contact you?
We talk through the house and the records you have, review the property as it stands, and provide written terms before you decide. If you choose to move forward, the title company checks the transaction details and coordinates the payoff information needed for closing.
More Charleston seller resources
Talk through the property
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above. Start with the Charleston address and the notice or payoff information you have.