Sell a House With Liens or Back Taxes in Eugene
A lien doesn’t stop you from selling. If you need to sell a house with liens in Eugene, whether it’s back property taxes, a contractor’s lien, a judgment or a tax lien, OR Home Buyers can buy it for cash and the title company pays the liens off from the sale at closing.
You walk away with what’s left, and the debt that was tied to the house is settled.
Get a Cash Offer, Liens and All
How it works when your house has liens or back taxes
1.
Tell us what you know is owed
2.
We order a title report
3.
A written cash offer with a net sheet
4.
Payoffs are requested and confirmed
5.
Close and get paid
6.
If the liens are larger than the equity
Can I sell my house if it has a lien on it?
Buyers and their lenders won’t take title with an unpaid lien, so every lien has to be cleared. In a normal sale, that happens quietly at closing. The title company sees the lien on the report, gets a payoff, pays it from your proceeds and records a release. You never write a separate check.
Liens that often come with other problems, like a looming tax foreclosure or a missed mortgage, are worth handling quickly. If your lender has also started a foreclosure, see how we help owners avoid foreclosure in Eugene.
What happens if I'm behind on property taxes in Lane County?
Unpaid Oregon property taxes become delinquent after May 15 and collect interest of 1 1/3 percent per month. Once taxes are three years delinquent, the county can start foreclosure, and after a court judgment you have two years to redeem before the county takes the deed.
That timeline sounds long, but interest adds up fast and every notice makes it harder to sell on your own terms. If you’re behind on property taxes in Lane County, selling before the county’s judgment is usually the cleanest way out. The back taxes and interest are paid from the sale at closing, and any equity left is yours.
You keep title until the county actually takes the deed, so you can still sell during the redemption period. Ask the Lane County tax collector for your exact payoff, or let the title company get it for you. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
How are liens paid off when I sell?
Through the title company at closing. It gets a written payoff from each lienholder, pays them directly from the sale proceeds in the right order, records the releases, and sends you what’s left.
Property taxes are usually paid first, then mortgages and other liens by priority. A contractor’s lien, called a construction lien in Oregon, must be filed within 75 days of the last work, so if you sell a house with a contractor lien, the payoff and release are handled the same way. When you sell a house with a judgment lien, the creditor provides a payoff and a satisfaction is recorded. For federal tax liens, the IRS has a separate process to release the lien so the sale can close.
Why owners with liens or back taxes choose OR Home BuyersOR Home Buyers
- We work with local title companies every week, so lien payoffs and releases are routine, not a reason to walk away.
- Bob has served Lane County for over 25 years and will tell you honestly if a sale doesn't make sense for your numbers.
- We buy with our own cash. No contract assignment, no commissions and no fees.
Bob Bash,
Founder, OR Home Buyers
Liens and back taxes FAQs
Yes. A cash sale works well because there's no lender to worry about the lien. The title company gets the exact payoff for the tax lien, pays it from your proceeds at closing and records the release, so the buyer takes clean title and you get the rest.
No. Almost every lien is paid from the sale itself at closing. You don't need cash up front. The only time you'd need to bring money is if the liens and mortgage together are more than the sale price, and we'd tell you that before you sign anything.
That's common. Liens can be recorded without much notice, especially judgments. We order a title report as soon as we have an agreement, which shows every recorded lien and who to contact. You'll see the full list and payoffs before closing.
Then a normal sale won't cover everything. Some lienholders, like judgment creditors or contractors, will accept less to get paid now. A property tax lien usually has to be paid in full. Talk to an attorney about your options, and we'll make an honest offer either way.
Yes, if the sale closes before the county takes the deed. The back taxes, interest and any penalty are paid at closing, which ends the county's claim. Call us as early as you can, because the payoff takes time to confirm and deadlines don't move.
We can usually make an offer within 24 hours. Closing depends on how quickly lienholders send payoff statements, which is often one to three weeks. Property tax payoffs are usually quick; some judgment and federal tax liens take longer, so call early.
See what you'd walk away with
Liens piling up? Call Bob at (541) 722-2000 or fill out the form. We'll show you exactly what you'd walk away with after every lien is paid.
