How liens and back-tax payoffs work
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. Your liens are paid off from the sale at closing.
Closing costs are separate from your mortgage payoff, liens, back taxes, and your share of current property taxes. The creditor or county office supplies the current amount and instructions. The title company checks the property records and confirms how the required payoffs and releases appear in the settlement figures.
Records to start with
The title company checks recorded claims and coordinates the title work for the sale. Lenders and other creditors provide their payoff statements; the county collector named on the tax bill or notice can confirm the property-tax account and any tax-sale status. The Recorder of Deeds can help with recorded documents, but a recorded copy is not a current payoff quote.
Have the address, parcel number if you know it, tax bill or delinquency notice, court or trustee notice, creditor or case number, and any mortgage or lien payoff statement nearby. Call before you have everything; we can start with what you have.
No need to resolve the account before you contact us. We can talk through the house while the responsible office, creditor, and title company confirm the current records.
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 about the house and the notice
Share the address, condition, and what you know about the lien, tax account, or deadline. You can call before every payoff is assembled.
2. Review the house as it stands
We look at the property and the information available, then explain what still needs to be checked before a sale can move forward.
3. Read the written offer and terms
Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing. You can review the price, payoff treatment, and other terms before deciding whether to proceed.
4. Confirm title, payoffs, and settlement
If you choose to sell, the title company and the relevant creditors or county offices confirm the records, payoff figures, releases, and settlement statement for that transaction. Any required lien and tax payoffs are shown in the closing figures before the sale closes.
Kansas City lien, tax-sale, and deed-record facts
Kansas City, Missouri includes parts of Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties. Use the county where the property is located for its recorded land documents and current tax account; a Kansas City address alone does not identify which county office holds those records.
Cass County Recorder of Deeds ↗
Use the Recorder for deed and other recorded land-document questions in Cass County.
Clay County Recorder of Deeds ↗
Use the Recorder for deed and other recorded land-document questions in Clay County.
Jackson County Recorder of Deeds ↗
Use the Recorder for deed and other recorded land-document questions in Jackson County.
Platte County Recorder's Office ↗
Use the Recorder for deed and other recorded land-document questions in Platte County.
County property-tax sale and mortgage foreclosure are different
Property-tax account and sale status are county-specific. For a Jackson County property, check the county's Delinquent Land Tax Sale information and the 16th Circuit's overview; those resources are for Jackson County, not all four counties in the Kansas City city span. For a property in Cass, Clay, or Platte County, use the collector and the notice for that county to confirm the account and any sale status.
A mortgage foreclosure is a separate process. When a home loan is secured by a deed of trust with a power-of-sale clause, the lender can foreclose through a trustee's sale without a court case. Missouri law provides at least 20 days' notice by publication and mail to the owner of record. Check the current notice with the named trustee or lender; a tax-sale notice does not set a mortgage-sale date.
Missouri transfer taxes and deed recording fees
Missouri's constitution bars the state, counties, and other local governments from imposing new taxes on the sale or transfer of real estate after December 2, 2010. Deed recording fees still apply: $5 for the first page and $3 for each additional page, plus statutory per-document fees. The title company or closing professional confirms the exact recording charges.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs.
That does not pay your mortgage, liens, back taxes, or your share of current property taxes; those are separate payoff or settlement items.
Compare what you may keep after payoffs
Use the Kansas City home-sale net proceeds calculator to compare a possible sale with your mortgage, liens, back taxes, repairs, and other estimated costs. You can change the numbers to match what you know about the property.
Open the Kansas City home-sale net proceeds calculator →What sellers say about USA Home Buyers
Kansas City property lien and back-tax questions
Can I sell my Kansas City house before paying 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. You can call before you have every notice or payoff document; the current balances and release requirements are checked for the specific sale.
Who confirms the current lien or tax payoff?
The creditor or lender provides its current payoff and instructions. The county collector named on a tax bill or notice confirms the property-tax account. The title company reviews the recorded property claims and the documents needed for the closing.
Which Kansas City county office should I contact?
Kansas City, Missouri includes parts of Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties. Use the Recorder for the county where the property is recorded, and use the county collector named on the current tax bill or notice for tax-account questions.
Is a Jackson County delinquent land tax sale the same as mortgage foreclosure?
No. Jackson County delinquent land tax sale information is for the county tax-sale process. A mortgage foreclosure under a deed of trust is a separate process; check the current notice with the named trustee or lender.
What sale taxes and recording fees apply in Missouri?
Missouri bars new state or local taxes on the sale or transfer of real estate after December 2, 2010. Deed recording fees still apply: $5 for the first page and $3 for each additional page, plus statutory per-document fees. The title company confirms the exact charges. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs; that does not pay your mortgage, liens, back taxes, or share of current property taxes.
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. Bring the latest payoff statement or tax notice if you have it; you can start the conversation before you collect every record.
What should I have ready before I call?
Start with the property address and whatever you have: a tax bill or notice, parcel number, creditor or case number, mortgage statement, payoff letter, or tax-sale or trustee notice. You can call before you have everything.
More Kansas City seller resources
Talk through the property
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above. Start with the Kansas City address and the notice or payoff information you have.