Allegheny County recording office ↗
Use the county recording route for recorded property documents. The office lists County Office Building, Room 101, 542 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, and 412-350-4636, option 2.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Allegheny County
Can I Sell My Pittsburgh 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, you can sell a Pittsburgh house with back taxes or liens. We buy houses as-is in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
Call 888-274-5006 to talk through the property.
Talk through your Pittsburgh lien or tax question
Share the property address and whatever you have about the notice, payoff, creditor, court record, or tax account. 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.
Tell us the address and what you know about the notice, payoff, creditor, or tax account.
Prefer to call? 888-274-5006.
How payoffs work
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. Your liens are paid off from the sale at closing.
The title company checks ownership and recorded claims. The lienholder or tax office provides the current balance and instructions to pay or release its claim. A notice, old statement, or county search can help identify the issue, but it is not a current payoff instruction.
Bring the records you have
Start with the property address, parcel number if available, tax or court notice, creditor or case number, mortgage statement, or payoff letter. A deed or assessment record may help identify the parcel. The title company and the responsible creditor or tax office confirm the current balance and release instructions. Call us with what you have; you do not have to collect every record first.
The Allegheny County property-record search is an official parcel-record route. Match any result to the actual property; it is not a current creditor payoff.
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 happens next
Start with a conversation, not a complete file. We discuss the house and what you know, then put the offer and terms in writing before you decide.
1. Talk about the property
Tell us the Pittsburgh address, the lien or tax notice, and the timing that concerns you. Start with whatever details you have; you can call before you find every balance or record.
2. Review the house and written terms
We discuss the house as it stands and give you written terms to read before you commit. Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
3. Confirm title and payoff details
The title company reviews ownership and recorded claims for the transaction. It works with the lienholders and the responsible tax office to confirm payoff and release instructions, then prepares the figures for closing.
4. Review the closing figures and close
The title company shows the sale price, payoffs, taxes, transfer taxes, costs, and amount left on the closing statement. You review the figures before the title-company closing.
Allegheny County records and offices
Pittsburgh is in Allegheny County, but a Pittsburgh mailing address alone does not prove that a property is inside City of Pittsburgh limits or in Pittsburgh School District. Check the parcel record for its municipality and district before relying on a local tax rate or office.
Allegheny County property and assessment search ↗
Use the official parcel-record search to look up property and assessment information and check the parcel details. A parcel search is not a current payoff or release from a creditor.
Department of Court Records, Wills & Orphans Division ↗
If an owner has died and estate authority or a court record affects the sale, this county division is at the City-County Building, 414 Grant Street, First Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2469. Call 412-350-4180 for the division.
Probate Section appointments use 412-350-4195 or the appointment information; scheduled and walk-in service are listed.
Pittsburgh tax-sale, foreclosure, and transfer-tax facts
Check the notice and parcel record for the property in front of you. A county tax sale, a mortgage foreclosure, and the transfer tax due when a sale is recorded are different questions.
Back taxes and a county tax sale
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. (Real Estate Tax Sale Law, §§601–603.)
Check the current notice for the sale date and contact details. Use the Allegheny County property-record search to confirm the parcel record. A tax sale for unpaid property taxes is separate from a mortgage foreclosure; the latter follows its own lender and court process. See the Pittsburgh foreclosure information for that separate situation.
Pittsburgh realty transfer tax
Allegheny County's local-rate table, checked October 2, 2026, lists a 5% total for taxable transfers in Pittsburgh city limits and Pittsburgh School District: 3% city, 1% school, and 1% state. Its separate Pittsburgh/Baldwin-Whitehall row is 4.5% total: 3% city, 0.5% school, and 1% state. A Pittsburgh mailing address does not establish which row applies. Confirm the parcel's municipality and school district; exemptions and who pays depend on the transaction.
Compare possible net proceeds
Change the estimated value, mortgage payoff, lien or tax amount, repairs, cleanout, carrying costs, and closing-cost assumptions to compare possible net proceeds. Just an estimate — the actual number could be more or less depending on the home's condition.
What sellers say about USA Home Buyers
Pittsburgh property liens and back taxes questions
Can I sell my Pittsburgh 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. We buy houses with back taxes and liens, and payoffs are handled through closing. You can call before you have every notice or balance.
Who checks my lien balance and payoff amount?
The title company checks the property records and works with the lienholder or tax office for current, property-specific payoff and release instructions. A county record or an old statement is not the final payoff amount.
Which Allegheny County records should I bring?
Start with the property address, parcel number if you have it, any tax-sale notice, lien or court paper, mortgage statement, and payoff information. A deed or assessment record can also help identify the parcel. Call us with what you have; you do not need to assemble everything first.
Is a tax sale the same as a mortgage foreclosure sale?
No. A tax sale concerns unpaid property taxes and the county notice; mortgage foreclosure follows a separate lender and court process. Check the notice for the process and date that apply to your property.
What transfer tax applies to a Pittsburgh property?
The rate depends on the property municipality and school district, and exemptions and who pays depend on the transaction. The Allegheny County local-rate table lists separate Pittsburgh district rows; confirm the parcel and written settlement figures.
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. Bring the current lender statement or tax notice when you have it.
What happens after I contact you?
We talk about the property and the records you have, then put the offer and terms in writing before you decide. If you choose to move forward, the title company checks ownership and recorded claims, confirms payoff instructions with the responsible parties, and prepares the closing figures.
More Pittsburgh seller resources
Browse Pittsburgh seller resources →See how the Pittsburgh process works →Read the Pittsburgh foreclosure page →Review Pittsburgh estate-sale questions →
Talk through the property
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above. Start with the Pittsburgh address and whatever notice or payoff information you have.