Lorain County Treasurer ↗
The County Treasurer handles real-estate tax collection. Use its county contact route for a property-tax account question; for a tax-foreclosure case, follow the current notice and case information for that property.
Lorain, OH · Lorain County
Can I Sell My Lorain 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 the City of Lorain and throughout Lorain County, Ohio, 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 can start with the address and the notice or payoff information you have. You do not have to collect every record before calling.
Call 888-274-5006 to talk through the property and ask for a cash offer.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Share the address and what you know about the notice, payoff, tax account, or lien.
Seller reviews
Read homeowner reviews
See what sellers say about working with us
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 may affect the property or money due at closing. A payoff is the current amount and payment or release instructions from the creditor or tax office. The title company checks the records for the sale, while the responsible creditor or office confirms its current figures and instructions.
Your mortgage balance, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes are separate from our closing-cost promise. The payoff figures and treatment for this sale are reviewed with the written terms and closing figures.
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
Records and a next step
Start with the property address. If you have them, a parcel number, current property-tax bill or notice, payoff statement, mortgage information, lien or court paper, or case number can help identify which account or record needs checking. You can call before you have everything.
The Lorain County Treasurer handles county real-estate tax collection; the County Recorder is the office for recorded deeds and other land documents. The title company checks the records that affect a particular sale, and the creditor or tax office named on a notice confirms its current payoff details.
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
Start with what you know about the house and the lien or tax notice. You do not have to resolve the records before contacting us.
1. Talk through the property
Tell us the Lorain address, what you know about the house, and any notice or payoff question. Start with what you have.
2. Review the house and written terms
We review the house as it stands and put the proposed offer and terms in writing before you decide. Read the price, responsibilities, payoff treatment, and closing terms before committing.
3. Check title and payoff instructions
If you choose to proceed, a title company checks ownership and records needed for the transaction. The creditor or tax office confirms its current payoff and release instructions for the closing figures.
4. Review the figures and close
Review the sale price, confirmed payoffs, taxes, and other settlement figures with the title company. The sale closes through a title company under the written terms.
Lorain County records, tax cases, and Ohio conveyance fee
Lorain County offices listed here are county offices in Elyria, not City of Lorain departments. Match the question to the office that keeps the relevant record. A delinquent property-tax case and a lender's mortgage foreclosure are separate matters with different notices and case information.
Lorain County Auditor — real-estate transfers ↗
The Auditor publishes real-estate transfer and conveyance information. Use the Auditor for an Ohio conveyance-fee question. The office also provides a GIS and tax-map route for parcel information.
Lorain County Recorder ↗
The Recorder is the county land-record office for recorded deeds and other land documents. Deed recording and conveyance-fee questions go to different offices; the Auditor handles conveyance-fee information.
Ohio tax-foreclosure law ↗
Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5721 covers tax foreclosures. A tax matter is not the same as a mortgage foreclosure, so use the tax notice and case information rather than relying on a lender or mortgage-sale notice for the tax-case status.
For the separate mortgage-foreclosure process, see the Lorain foreclosure information.
Ohio conveyance fee
Ohio law requires a conveyance fee of $1 per $1,000 of the sale price, and a county can add up to $3 per $1,000. The county maximum is not the confirmed rate for every transfer; ask the Lorain County Auditor about the current transfer information for the property.
The Ohio conveyance fee is a selling cost. When you sell to us, we pay it.
Compare possible net proceeds
Use the editable Lorain home-sale net proceeds calculator with your own estimates for the sale price, mortgage payoff, liens or taxes, repairs, and other costs. Just an estimate — the actual number could be more or less depending on the home's condition.
Questions and contact
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above to talk through the Lorain address and the records you have.
Read the Lorain mortgage-foreclosure information or browse Lorain seller resources.
Lorain property liens and back taxes questions
Can I sell my Lorain 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. USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in the City of Lorain and throughout Lorain County, Ohio. You can call with the property address before you have every notice or payoff figure.
How are liens and back-tax payoffs handled?
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. Your liens are paid off from the sale at closing. The creditor or tax office confirms the current balance and instructions, and the title company checks the records and closing figures for the sale. Mortgage balances, back taxes, and your share of current property taxes are separate from closing costs.
What records should I have when I call?
Start with the Lorain property address. A current tax bill or notice, parcel number, lien or court paper, mortgage or creditor payoff statement, or case number can help. You can call before you have everything assembled.
Are a tax foreclosure and a mortgage foreclosure the same process?
No. A tax foreclosure concerns delinquent real-estate taxes; a mortgage foreclosure concerns a home loan. Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5721 covers tax foreclosures. Use the notice and case information for the issue affecting your property; the Lorain mortgage-foreclosure page covers the separate loan process.
What if the payoff is more than my Lorain 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 USA Home Buyers?
We talk through the house and the information you have, review it as-is, and put the offer and terms in writing before you decide. If you choose to proceed, a title company checks ownership, records, payoff instructions, and the settlement figures for the sale.