USA Home Buyers

Forest City Borough · Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania

Can I Sell My Forest City 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 any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us — in Forest City Borough and Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, including houses with back taxes or liens. Ask us about a cash offer; you can call before you have every record.

Call 888-274-5006 to talk through the property.

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, or notice.

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How liens 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 payoff is the current amount and instructions the creditor or tax office gives to satisfy an obligation. The title company checks ownership and recorded claims for the property, then works with each creditor or responsible office to confirm current payoff or release information. The settlement statement shows the sale price, payoffs, taxes, and other closing figures.

The closing-cost promise does not pay your mortgage, liens, back taxes, or share of current property taxes. Those are separate settlement items; a payoff is handled from the sale proceeds only as the confirmed figures and written closing terms allow.

Start with the records you have

A tax notice, lien or creditor notice, payoff statement, mortgage information, parcel number, deed, or court paper can help start the conversation. You do not have to collect everything first or know the final balance before you call. The creditor or tax office provides current payoff information; the title company checks the property file and coordinates the required records and releases.

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. 1. Talk through the property

    Tell us the Forest City address and what you know about the house, lien, or tax notice. Start with what you have; you do not need to resolve the record before calling.

  2. 2. Review written terms

    We give written terms for you to read before you commit. The proposed price, payoff treatment, and other terms are set out for the specific sale.

  3. 3. Confirm title and payoff details

    The title company checks ownership and recorded claims. The relevant creditor or tax office confirms current payoff information, and the closing team checks the settlement figures against the written terms.

  4. 4. Close through a title company

    You review the settlement statement—the written breakdown of the sale price, payoffs, taxes, and other closing figures. Closing takes place through a title company after the property-specific title and payoff items are addressed.

Forest City and Susquehanna County facts and offices

Forest City Borough is in Susquehanna County. The Borough describes the community along PA Route 171 near the corner of Susquehanna, Lackawanna, and Wayne Counties; nearby county lines do not determine the county for an individual property. See the Borough of Forest City.

Delinquent real-estate taxes and tax sales

When property taxes go unpaid, the county can put the house up for a tax sale, and the county's notice gives the date. If a sale closes before that date, the delinquent taxes may be paid from the proceeds if enough money remains after other liens and closing costs. A sale agreement alone does not resolve the tax claim. Call us as soon as a notice arrives; timing matters. See the Pennsylvania Real Estate Tax Sale Law, §§601–603.

A county tax sale is separate from mortgage foreclosure. For delinquent real-estate-tax questions, contact the Susquehanna County Tax Claim Bureau; for mortgage-foreclosure questions, see the separate Forest City foreclosure page.

Pennsylvania realty transfer tax and closing costs

Pennsylvania charges a 1% state realty transfer tax on taxable transfers, and local tax may also apply. The actual amount depends on the transaction and property. Read the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue's realty-transfer-tax information.

When you sell to us, we pay the transfer tax. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. Your mortgage, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes remain separate from that closing-cost promise.

Forest City Borough Office

For general Borough questions, including how to reach the Tax Collector listed in the Borough directory: 535 Main Street, Forest City, PA 18421; (570) 785-3326. See the Borough contact information.

Susquehanna County Tax Claim Bureau

Contact this office about delinquent real-estate-tax balances and tax-sale questions. County Courthouse, 31 Lake Avenue, Montrose, PA 18801; (570) 278-4600, extension 4080. See the Tax Claim Bureau.

Susquehanna County Register & Recorder / Register of Wills

This office handles deed and other document recording, probate intake, and transfer-tax collection. The County asks for appointments for probate. County Courthouse, 31 Lake Avenue, Montrose, PA 18801; (570) 278-4600, extensions 4065, 4066, or 4067. See the Register & Recorder.

Susquehanna County Assessment Office

Use this office for assessment-record and tax-collector routing questions. Assessment information is not a title search or a determination of the current tax balance. County Courthouse, 31 Lake Avenue, Montrose, PA 18801; (570) 278-4600, extension 4001. See the Assessment Office.

Susquehanna County GIS & Mapping

The County links public web maps for parcel and address orientation; the map is not a field survey. County Courthouse, 31 Lake Avenue, Montrose, PA 18801; (570) 278-5916. See GIS & Mapping.

Compare possible net proceeds

Use your own assumptions for the sale price, mortgage payoff, lien or tax amount, repairs, and other costs to compare possible net proceeds. The calculator is an estimate for planning, not a property-specific offer or settlement statement.

Open the Forest City home-sale net proceeds calculator →

What sellers say about USA Home Buyers

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Questions about Forest City property liens and back taxes

Can I sell a Forest City 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. The title company and the responsible creditor or tax office confirm the current payoff and closing instructions. A sale agreement alone does not resolve a county tax claim.

Which Susquehanna County office handles delinquent real-estate taxes?

The Susquehanna County Tax Claim Bureau handles questions about delinquent real-estate taxes and tax sales. Contact it with the property address, parcel number if available, and the notice you received to ask about the current account and sale status.

Does signing a sale agreement stop a Pennsylvania tax sale?

No. The county notice gives the tax-sale date, and a sale agreement alone does not resolve the tax claim. If the sale closes before that date, delinquent taxes may be paid from the proceeds only if enough remains after other liens and closing costs. Call as soon as a notice arrives; timing matters. (Pennsylvania Real Estate Tax Sale Law, §§601–603.)

Is a county tax sale the same as mortgage foreclosure?

No. A county tax sale concerns unpaid real-estate taxes; mortgage foreclosure is a separate process. Read the notice and contact the office or professional identified for that process. The Forest City foreclosure page covers mortgage-foreclosure questions separately.

What should I have ready when I call about a lien or back taxes?

Start with the Forest City property address and whatever you have: a parcel number, tax notice, lien or creditor notice, payoff statement, mortgage information, or sale paperwork. You can call before you have every record or know every balance.

What 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 transfer tax and closing costs do you pay?

Pennsylvania has a 1% state realty transfer tax on taxable transfers, and local tax may also apply. When you sell to us, we pay the transfer tax. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. The closing-cost promise does not pay your mortgage, liens, back taxes, or share of current property taxes; those are separate settlement items.

What happens after I contact you?

We talk through the house and the records you have, then give you written terms to review before you commit. The title company checks ownership and recorded claims and works with the relevant creditor or tax office on payoff information. If you choose to proceed, the title company coordinates the closing and confirms the final settlement figures.

Talk through the property

Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above. Start with the Forest City address and whatever notice or payoff information you have.

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