Polk County Treasurer — Property Tax
Contact this office about a property-tax account, payment, or tax-sale notice.
Des Moines, Iowa · Polk and Warren Counties
Can I Sell My Des Moines 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. USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Des Moines, Polk County, and Warren County. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. You can ask about selling with back taxes or liens before you have every notice or balance in hand.
Call 888-274-5006 to talk through the property or ask for a cash offer.
Start with the Des Moines property address
Share the address and what you know about the tax notice, creditor, or payoff. You can call before you have every document.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Share the Des Moines address and what you know about the notice or payoff.
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.
A lien is a claim that can affect ownership or the money due at closing. A payoff is the current amount and instructions from the creditor or tax office. The title company checks ownership and recorded claims for the sale, while the responsible creditor or tax office confirms its current payoff information.
Records that help, and where to check
A tax bill or delinquency notice, creditor letter, payoff statement, mortgage information, court paper, or parcel number can help. Start with the address if that is all you have; you do not need to collect everything before calling. The title company checks the sale records, and the creditor or tax office confirms its current amount and payoff instructions.
Des Moines' incorporated city boundary intersects Polk and Warren Counties, but that citywide boundary does not determine a specific parcel's county. Check the parcel record first, then contact the Treasurer, Assessor, or Recorder in the county where the property is located.
If the payoff is the problem
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
Share the Des Moines address, the notice or record you have, and any date that concerns you. You can start the conversation before all the paperwork is assembled.
2. Review the house and written terms
We review the house as it stands and provide the offer and terms in writing before you decide. Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
3. Title and payoff details are checked
If you choose to proceed, the title company checks ownership and recorded claims. The creditor or tax office confirms current payoff and release information for the sale.
4. Review settlement figures and close
The closing statement shows the sale price, payoffs, taxes, costs, and amount left after those items. You review the figures as the sale closes through a title company.
Polk and Warren County records and Iowa sale facts
Use the office for the county where the parcel is located. Property-tax accounts, recorded land documents, assessment records, and court cases are different records; one does not confirm the current payoff on another.
Polk County
Polk County Assessor
Use the Assessor for assessment and parcel-record inquiries.
Polk County Recorder — Real Estate Department
Use the Recorder for recorded real-estate documents and recording information.
Polk County Clerk of Court
For court filing and case-access questions, contact the Clerk at 500 Mulberry Street, Room 212, Des Moines, IA 50309, or 515-561-5718.
Warren County
Warren County Treasurer
Contact this office about a property-tax account, payment, or tax-sale notice.
Warren County Assessor
Use the Assessor for assessment and parcel-record inquiries.
Warren County Recorder
Use the Recorder for recorded documents and recording-information questions.
Warren County Clerk of Court
For court filing and case-access questions, contact the Clerk at 115 N. Howard Street, Suite 100, Indianola, IA 50125, or 515-690-9260.
Property-tax sale and mortgage foreclosure are separate
Iowa county tax sales concern delinquent property taxes and are separate from a lender's mortgage-foreclosure case. For a tax account or tax-sale notice, ask the correct county Treasurer about the current balance and status, and follow the notice for its dates and instructions. Iowa Code chapter 446 covers tax sales.
A mortgage foreclosure is a court case that may lead to a Sheriff sale. For a mortgage payoff, ask the lender for its current figures; for court filing or case-access questions, use the Clerk of Court for the property's county. Iowa Code chapter 654 covers mortgage foreclosure.
Iowa Code chapter 446 — tax sales ↗ · Iowa Code chapter 654 — mortgage foreclosure ↗
Iowa real estate transfer tax
Iowa's real estate transfer tax is 80 cents for each $500, or fraction of $500, of the price above the first $500. On a $100,000 sale, the taxable $99,500 is 199 units of $500, so the tax is $159.20. The person conveying the property, normally the seller, is liable for the tax. Exemptions can apply, so the closing professional confirms whether it applies and the taxable amount.
The county Recorder will not record the deed until the tax is paid, and a declaration of value is filed when required. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Iowa real estate transfer tax. That closing-cost promise does not pay your mortgage, liens, back taxes, or share of current property taxes; those are separate sale figures.
Compare possible net proceeds
Use your own estimates for the home, mortgage payoff, liens or back taxes, repairs, and other 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
Des Moines property liens and back-tax questions
Can I sell my Des Moines house with back taxes or liens before paying them?
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 as-is in Des Moines, Polk County, and Warren County. Current payoff figures and instructions are checked as the sale moves forward, and you can call before you have every record.
Which county office should I contact about my Des Moines property?
The incorporated City of Des Moines intersects Polk and Warren Counties, but that citywide boundary does not identify the county for a specific parcel. Confirm the property county from its parcel record, then contact that county’s Treasurer for property-tax account questions or its Recorder for recorded land documents.
Who checks the lien and payoff amounts?
The title company checks ownership and recorded claims for the sale. The creditor or county tax office confirms current payoff figures and instructions. A Recorder can help with recorded documents, but a recorded document is not the same as today’s payoff amount.
Is an Iowa tax sale the same as mortgage foreclosure?
No. A county property-tax sale and a mortgage foreclosure are separate processes with different notices and deadlines. Ask the county Treasurer about a tax account or tax-sale notice. A mortgage foreclosure is a court case that may lead to a Sheriff sale; use the current case papers and contact the court for case-access questions.
What is Iowa real estate transfer tax?
Iowa charges 80 cents for each $500, or fraction of $500, of the price above the first $500. On a $100,000 sale, that is $159.20. The person conveying the property, normally the seller, is liable under the law, though exemptions can apply. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Iowa real estate transfer tax; mortgage payoff, liens, back taxes, and your share of current property taxes are separate.
What should I have ready when I call?
Start with the property address and whatever you have: a tax bill or notice, creditor letter, payoff statement, mortgage information, court paper, case number, or parcel number. You can call before you have everything.
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. The lender confirms the current payoff and any terms for the specific sale.
What happens after I contact you?
We talk through the property and the information you have, review the house as-is, and provide written offer terms before you decide. If you choose to proceed, the title company checks ownership and recorded claims, works with the responsible creditor or tax office on payoff information, prepares settlement figures, and closes the sale.
Talk through the property
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above. Start with the Des Moines address and the notice or payoff information you have.