A notice means a process has started, not that the house is gone. In the first week, find out what kind of notice it is, get the payoff and sale date, and decide whether to pay, sell, or get legal advice.
First, do not ignore it, and do not panic. A notice means a process has started, not that the house is gone. Here is what to do in the first week.
Step 1: Read what kind of notice it is
A delinquent tax or tax certificate notice from the tax collector. Taxes are unpaid, and you usually still have time.
A notice of tax deed application or sale from the clerk. A sale process is underway. Check the sale date.
Step 2: Get three facts
The total needed to clear the taxes today.
The sale date, if one is set.
Whether other liens exist, like a mortgage, HOA, or code lien.
Step 3: Decide your path
Pay it. If you can, this ends the process.
Sell before the auction. If you cannot pay or do not want the house.
Get legal advice. If there are heirs, a probate case, a divorce, or title questions.
Things not to do
Do not ignore the mail. Deadlines in these cases are short.
Do not sign anything from someone who contacts you about the notice without reading it and having an attorney review it. Offers often show up as soon as a case is filed.
Do not assume you can pay later. Redemption has a hard cutoff.
What to do this week
Call your county tax collector for the payoff and your county clerk for the sale date. If you want a second set of eyes, send me the notice and the address. I will tell you straight whether paying or selling looks better.
Disclosure: I am a licensed REALTOR with eXp Realty, and I also invest in homes through my own company. If I am ever the buyer, I will tell you in writing before you decide.
General education, not legal, tax or investment advice. Discuss your circumstances with a licensed Florida attorney or tax professional. Yoganand Ganeshram PA, licensed Florida real estate agent with eXp Realty. Equal Housing Opportunity.
For the application clock, section 197.502 uses two years after April 1 of the certificate’s year of issuance. For redemption, section 197.472 governs the cutoff. Ask the tax collector and clerk for your parcel’s actual dates; these are different deadlines.
Sources: Section 197.502 and section 197.472.
Originally published on Equity Edge Orlando. Reviewed for this Substack edition.