How lien 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 legal claim that can affect the property’s title or the money due at closing. A payoff is the current amount and instructions from the creditor or tax office to settle that claim. The title company checks the recorded claims and the current written payoff information, then shows the settlement figures for the sale.
Your mortgage balance, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes are separate from the closing costs we pay. Those figures are checked for the property and shown in the closing paperwork.
Records that help — and when to call
Start with the North Wilkesboro or Wilkes County property address and whatever you have: the latest tax bill or notice, parcel number, court paper or case number, recorded document, mortgage statement, creditor contact, or payoff letter. A property assessment and a current tax balance or lien payoff are different figures.
Call us with what you know; you do not need every record first. Wilkes County Tax Administration handles tax-account questions, and the Clerk of Superior Court handles court cases. The title company checks the property-specific title and payoff details as the sale moves forward.
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
- We talk through the house, your timing, and the tax or lien information you already have.
- We review the property as it stands. You get a written offer and written terms before you commit, and we close through a title company.
- The title company checks ownership, recorded claims, payoff instructions, and the signatures needed for the transaction. The creditor or tax office confirms its current figures and release instructions.
- You review the settlement figures and decide whether to proceed.
Wilkes County offices for taxes, court records, and deeds
The courthouse and county offices listed here are in Wilkesboro, a nearby town outside North Wilkesboro.
Wilkes County Tax Administration ↗
Call collections at 336-651-7322 about a property-tax balance or payment. For assessed value and parcel information, call appraisal at 336-651-7301. The office is at 110 North Street, Wilkesboro, NC 28697.
Wilkes County Register of Deeds ↗
Contact the Register for recorded land documents and deed-record questions. The office is at 500 Courthouse Drive, Suite 1000, Wilkesboro, NC 28697; call 336-651-7351.
Clerk of Superior Court, Wilkes County Courthouse ↗
Contact the Clerk of Superior Court about a case, order, or judgment. The courthouse is at 500 Courthouse Drive, Wilkesboro, NC 28697; its main telephone is 336-651-4400.
Property-tax accounts and mortgage foreclosures
Wilkes County property-tax account
For a property-tax balance, payment question, or county tax notice, contact Wilkes County Tax Administration collections and have the latest notice or parcel number handy. If your notice mentions a court case or sale, contact the Clerk of Superior Court with its case details.
A lender’s mortgage foreclosure
A lender foreclosing on a home loan follows a different process from a county property-tax account. Many North Carolina home loans use a deed of trust with a power of sale, which can bring the case to a hearing before the Clerk of Superior Court. If the clerk authorizes a sale and the house is sold at auction, a qualifying upset bid filed within 10 days after the sale report is filed starts another 10-day period. Check the date on the current court notice.
North Carolina Judicial Branch foreclosure guidanceNorth Carolina mortgage-foreclosure upset bids — G.S. 45-21.27North Wilkesboro foreclosure questions
North Carolina excise tax on conveyances
North Carolina charges $1 for each $500 of the price or value transferred by deed; any part of $500 counts as a full $500. State law assigns payment to the seller before the deed is recorded at the county Register of Deeds. Some transfers are exempt, including gifts, transfers under a will or by inheritance, and transfers where the buyer pays nothing.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including North Carolina's excise tax on conveyances. Your mortgage, liens, back taxes and share of current property taxes are separate.
North Carolina excise tax on conveyances — G.S. 105-228.30Excise-tax exemptions — G.S. 105-228.29
Compare possible net proceeds
Compare a possible as-is sale with a listing using your own estimates for the home, payoff, repairs, carrying costs, and other expenses. Change the figures to fit the property; the calculator is a planning estimate, not a payoff statement.
North Wilkesboro, NC Home Sale Net Proceeds Calculator
CalculatorCompare what you would keep from listing your house or selling as-is for cash. Change the repair costs, cleanout, monthly bills and closing costs to fit your house.
Questions and contact
North Wilkesboro property liens and back taxes questions
Can I sell my North Wilkesboro house with back taxes or liens before paying them?
Yes. We buy houses with back taxes or liens in the Town of North Wilkesboro and throughout Wilkes County. When you sell to us, we can set it up so you don't have to prepay anything — it comes out at closing. Your liens are paid off from the sale at closing.
What records can help with a lien or tax balance?
The property address is a good start. A recent tax bill or notice, parcel or case number, court paper, recorded document, mortgage statement, or payoff letter can help. Call us even if you do not have all of these.
Which Wilkes County office handles tax and recorded-document questions?
Wilkes County Tax Administration handles property-tax balance and payment questions; its appraisal office handles assessed-value and parcel questions. The Register of Deeds handles recorded land documents, and the Clerk of Superior Court handles court cases. The title company checks the records and payoff instructions for the sale.
Is a county tax issue the same as a mortgage foreclosure?
No. A county property-tax account and a lender’s mortgage foreclosure are separate matters. For a tax balance or notice, contact Wilkes County Tax Administration. A mortgage foreclosure follows its own court and sale process; use the current court notice for its dates.
What if the payoff is more than my North Wilkesboro house is worth?
Think the payoff is more than the house is worth? Ask us — we've gotten lenders to come down before. The creditor or tax office provides the current amount and payoff instructions; the title company uses them in the closing figures.
What happens after I contact you?
We talk through the house and what you know about the payoff. You get a written offer and written terms before you commit, and we close through a title company. The title company checks ownership, recorded claims, and payoff instructions for the sale.
Who pays North Carolina excise tax when I sell to you?
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including North Carolina's excise tax on conveyances. Your mortgage, liens, back taxes and share of current property taxes are separate.
Call 888-274-5006 any time, or send the property details using the form above.