Kenton County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA)
Use the PVA for assessments and parcel records. It does not collect property taxes. The office is at 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Suite 3300, Covington, KY 41011; phone (859) 392-1750.
Covington, Kentucky · Kenton County
Can I Sell My Covington 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, you can call us about selling a Covington or Kenton County house with back taxes or liens.
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. Tell us what you know about the property and the notice in front of you. We can talk before you have every record or payoff detail.
Ask for a cash offer: call 888-274-5006 or use the form below.
Talk through your Covington lien or tax question
Share the property address and whatever you have about the tax bill, lien, creditor, payoff, or notice. The form starts at Back taxes / Liens, and you can change that selection before submitting.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Tell us the address and what you know about the lien, back taxes, payoff, or notice.
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.
The title company checks the sale records and works with the named creditor or tax office to confirm current written payoff amounts and release instructions. Those figures are shown in the settlement details. A PVA assessment or a deed search is not a current payoff statement.
Start with the records you have
A property address is enough to start the conversation. A parcel number, current tax bill, lien or court notice, creditor contact, payoff statement, or any notice with a date can help us understand what you are looking at. You do not need to collect every document before calling.
The title company confirms the sale’s title and payoff requirements with the relevant offices and lienholders. If there is a deadline or a sale date on a notice, share it with us and confirm its current status with the office named on the notice.
Think 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.
The lender or other lienholder supplies the current payoff and confirms any change. The title company needs the written amount and release terms to show how they fit the sale.
What happens next
1. Talk through the house and the notice
Tell us the Covington address, what you know about the lien or tax account, and any date or question that concerns you. Start with what you have; you can call before you have the full file.
2. Review the written terms
We discuss the house as it stands and put the offer and terms in writing before you commit. Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
3. Confirm title and payoff details
The title company checks the title and coordinates current payoff and release information with the lienholders or tax offices. You can review any questions about the written terms and settlement figures before deciding whether to proceed.
4. Review settlement and close
The closing figures show the sale price, applicable payoffs, taxes, and other listed costs. The title company handles the closing and confirms the final figures and documents for the transaction.
Covington and Kenton County offices for tax and lien records
City and County tax accounts use different offices. The Kenton County PVA handles assessment and parcel-record questions, not tax collection. Use the office that matches the bill or record you have, and confirm current details directly with that office.
Kenton County Sheriff’s Office — property taxes
Contact the Sheriff’s Office about a Kenton County property-tax bill or collection question. It is at 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Suite 1200, Covington, KY 41011; phone (859) 392-1800.
City of Covington Finance Department
Use City Finance for City property-tax billing, payment, and finance questions. City Hall is at 20 W. Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011; phone (859) 292-2180. This is separate from Kenton County tax collection.
Kenton County Clerk — real-estate records
The County Clerk publishes deed-recording requirements and recorded-record routes. Use its real-estate FAQ for related questions. A public-record search is not a current payoff statement or a complete title determination.
Kenton County District Civil/Probate Court
This page is a general court-clerk contact route for District Civil and probate information. If your notice names a court case, use the court and case details on that notice to ask where the specific inquiry belongs.
230 Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor, Covington, KY 41011; phone (859) 292-6523.
Kenton County Clerk — foreclosure-auction questions
A mortgage-foreclosure auction is separate from a property-tax bill or tax-sale notice. The Clerk’s Real Estate FAQ says the Clerk does not maintain the auction list and directs scheduled-auction questions to the Master Commissioner’s Office at (859) 431-1027. For a tax notice, contact the office named on the notice to confirm its process and status.
Kentucky real estate transfer tax
Kentucky charges 50 cents for each $500 of value or fraction of $500. The grantor—the seller—owes the tax under the statute, and the County Clerk collects it before the deed can be recorded. The value includes the full price paid, including any liens the buyer takes over. Recording fees are separate, and some transfers may be exempt; ask the title company whether an exemption applies to your sale.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including the Kentucky real estate transfer tax.
The transfer tax does not pay your mortgage, liens, back taxes, or share of current property taxes. Those are separate settlement items.
Read Kentucky Revised Statutes § 142.050 on the real estate transfer tax →
Compare what you might keep after the payoffs
Put your own sale price, mortgage and lien payoffs, taxes, repairs, and selling costs into the calculator to compare possible net proceeds. The numbers are estimates to help you think through the options; the title company confirms actual payoff and settlement figures.
What sellers say about USA Home Buyers
Covington property-liens and back-tax questions
Can I sell my Covington house with back taxes or liens before paying them?
When you sell to us, we can set it up so you don't have to prepay anything — it comes out at closing. Yes, you can call us about a Covington or Kenton County house with back taxes or liens. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. Your liens are paid off from the sale at closing. The current payoff and release details are confirmed with the responsible office or lienholder and the title company.
Who checks the current lien or property-tax payoff?
The title company works with the creditor or tax office named in your records to confirm current written payoff and release information for the sale. A public record or assessment is not the same as a current payoff figure.
What should I have ready before I call about back taxes or a lien?
Start with the property address and whatever you have: a tax bill, parcel number, lien or court notice, creditor contact, payoff statement, or sale notice. You can call before you have everything; the current balance and release details can be checked as the sale is discussed.
Which office handles a Covington or Kenton County property-tax bill?
For a Kenton County property-tax bill or collection question, contact the Kenton County Sheriff’s Office. For City of Covington property-tax billing or payment, contact City Finance. The Kenton County PVA handles assessments and parcel records, but it does not collect property taxes.
Is a mortgage-foreclosure auction the same as a tax-sale notice?
No. A property-tax bill or tax-sale notice and a mortgage-foreclosure auction are different matters. The Kenton County Clerk’s Real Estate FAQ says the Clerk does not maintain the foreclosure-auction list and directs scheduled-auction questions to the Master Commissioner’s Office at (859) 431-1027. For a tax notice, check the notice and contact the office named there about its status and timing.
What if the payoff is more than my Covington house is worth?
Think the payoff is more than the house is worth? Ask us — we've gotten lenders to come down before. The lender’s current payoff and any changed terms need to be confirmed in writing before the title company can show how they fit the settlement.
How is Kentucky’s real estate transfer tax handled when I sell?
Kentucky’s real estate transfer tax is 50 cents for each $500 of value or fraction of $500. The grantor—the seller—owes it under the statute, and the County Clerk collects it before the deed can be recorded. Recording fees are separate, and some transfers may be exempt; ask the title company whether an exemption applies. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including the Kentucky real estate transfer tax. Mortgage balances, liens, back taxes, and your share of current property taxes are separate.
Talk through the property
Start with the Covington address and the tax bill, lien, or notice you have. Use the form above or call 888-274-5006 to ask about a cash offer.