Sturgis, Michigan · St. Joseph County · Back taxes and liens

Can I Sell My Sturgis 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. We buy houses as-is in the City of Sturgis and St. Joseph County, Michigan, including houses with back taxes or liens. You do not need to fix, clean, or clear out the house to sell to us.

Start with the address and whatever notice or payoff information you have. Call 888-274-5006 even if you have not gathered every record.

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. The lender, creditor, or tax office confirms the current amount and instructions; the title company includes the applicable payoff in the settlement figures. Those balances are separate from our closing-cost promise, and the amount left from the sale depends on the actual price and payoffs.

A lien is a legal claim that can affect a property's title or the money due at closing. A payoff is the amount and instructions a creditor or tax office provides to satisfy an obligation as of a stated date. The title company checks the property records and works with the relevant creditor or office on the payoff and release paperwork for the sale.

Records that help—and who checks them

The property address and parcel number are a good start. Bring the tax bill or delinquent-tax notice, lender or creditor payoff statement, lien or court paperwork, deed, and any tax-sale or mortgage-foreclosure notice you have. You can call before you have everything.

St. Joseph County's delinquent-tax resources route tax-balance questions to the County Treasurer. A lender or other creditor provides its own payoff; the Register of Deeds and county property-record search help with recorded documents and tax-history questions. The title company checks which claims and payoff instructions apply to the specific sale.

Compare possible Sturgis net proceeds with the home-sale calculator → Just an estimate — the actual number could be more or less depending on the home's condition.

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.

If the notice is about property taxes or another lien instead of a lender payoff, tell us what it says. The responsible office or creditor can confirm the current amount and instructions.

What happens next

1. Talk through the house and the notice
Tell us the Sturgis address, what you know about the balance, and what deadline concerns you. Start with the papers you have; you do not need to solve the payoff before calling.
2. Review the house and written terms
We discuss the house as it stands and provide a written offer and written terms before you commit. Read the price, responsibilities, payoff treatment, and closing terms before deciding.
3. Let the title company check title and payoffs
The title company checks ownership and recorded claims for the transaction. The creditor or tax office confirms current payoff and release instructions, and the closing professionals prepare the settlement figures for the property.
4. Review the settlement and close
Before closing, review how the sale price, payoff amounts, taxes, and other settlement items affect what remains. Closing is through a title company.

Sturgis and St. Joseph County records and offices

St. Joseph County lists Sturgis City and Sturgis Township separately. A Sturgis mailing address alone does not show which municipality a property is in. Check the actual property record or an official map before relying on a city-specific tax or assessment answer.

Delinquent property taxes and tax foreclosure

St. Joseph County directs delinquent-tax questions to the County Treasurer. Its current-tax and delinquent-tax routes are separate: the County says current taxes go to the local treasurer, while delinquent-tax matters use the county route. Ask the responsible office about the property's current balance, notice, and status.

The County also publishes a separate tax-foreclosure and auction information route. Check the current notice and parcel record for any sale status or deadline; this page does not infer one for a particular property.

St. Joseph County Treasurer information · Delinquent-tax homeowner resources · Tax-foreclosure and auction information

The County lists the Treasurer at the Historic Courthouse, second floor, 125 W. Main Street, Centreville, MI 49032, and at 269-467-5525.

Recorded documents and property records

The St. Joseph County Register of Deeds handles recording and property-document questions. The County's property-record and tax-history search is a separate place to look up assessment and tax-history information. A title company reviews the records and the claims that apply to the actual sale.

St. Joseph County Register of Deeds · Recording requirements · Property records and tax-history search · City and township assessor list

The County lists the Register of Deeds at the Historic Courthouse, second floor, 125 W. Main Street, Centreville, MI 49032, and at 269-467-5552.

Mortgage foreclosure is separate from a tax sale

A County tax-foreclosure or auction notice concerns delinquent property taxes. A lender's mortgage foreclosure follows a different process. Read the notice that names the sale and check the current status and deadline with the responsible office or closing professional.

Read about mortgage foreclosure in Sturgis →

Michigan transfer taxes at closing

For an ordinary taxable sale, Michigan's state real estate transfer tax is $3.75 for each $500 of the property's value at the time of sale, or part of $500. The county tax is generally another $0.55 for each $500, or part of $500. At the 55-cent county rate, a $100,000 sale has $750 in state tax and $110 in county tax, $860 total. The seller is generally responsible under state law; state and county exemptions are separate, so the property's county, sale value, and any exemption need to be checked for the actual sale.

When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Michigan state and county real estate transfer taxes. Mortgage payoffs, liens, back taxes, and your share of current property taxes are separate from that closing-cost promise.

St. Joseph County Register of Deeds transfer-tax information · Michigan state transfer-tax law · Michigan county transfer-tax law

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Questions about Sturgis liens and back taxes

Can I sell my Sturgis house with back taxes or liens before paying them?

Yes. 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; the current payoff and release instructions are checked for the sale.

Who checks the current balance on back taxes or a lien?

The County Treasurer provides the county route for delinquent property taxes; current taxes go through the local treasurer. A lender or other creditor provides its payoff instructions, and the title company checks recorded property claims and the closing figures.

Are a property-tax foreclosure and a mortgage foreclosure the same thing?

No. St. Joseph County publishes a separate tax-foreclosure and auction information route for delinquent property taxes. A lender mortgage foreclosure is a different process; check the notice and the Sturgis foreclosure information for that situation.

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.

What should I have ready before I call?

Start with the property address and any parcel number, tax notice, lender or creditor statement, lien paperwork, deed or recorded-document information, or tax-sale or mortgage-foreclosure notice you have. You can call before you have everything gathered.

What happens after I contact you?

We talk through the house and the information you have, then provide written sale terms before you commit. The title company and the relevant creditor or tax office confirm the property-specific records, payoff instructions, and settlement figures for closing.

What transfer taxes apply to a Michigan house sale?

For an ordinary taxable sale, the state real estate transfer tax is $3.75 for each $500 of value, or part of $500. The county tax is generally another $0.55 per $500, or part. State and county exemptions are separate, so the county, sale value, and any exemption need to be checked for the actual sale. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Michigan state and county real estate transfer taxes. Mortgage payoffs, liens, back taxes, and your share of current property taxes are separate.

Talk through the property

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