Behind on Property Taxes and Selling a Downriver Home?
When do unpaid property taxes become delinquent in Wayne County?
On March 1. Your city or township bills property taxes twice a year, a summer bill around July and a winter bill in December. Whatever is still unpaid from that year on March 1 of the next year becomes delinquent and gets returned to the Wayne County Treasurer for collection.
So a 2026 summer bill and a 2026 winter bill that are still open on March 1, 2027 both become delinquent on that date.
That handoff changes who you deal with. Before March 1, the bill sits with your local treasurer in Taylor, Trenton, Wyandotte or wherever the house is. After March 1, the Wayne County Treasurer is the office collecting it. Flat Rock’s treasurer, for example, tells residents that real property taxes not paid by March 1 are turned over to the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office.
If you’re a seller who fell behind, this is the first date to circle. If you close in January or February, those bills are still with your local treasurer. Close in April and the payoff goes to the county, with the fee and interest already added.
It also helps to know which bills you’re actually behind on. Pull out the last two years of summer and winter bills, or call your city or township treasurer, and write down every bill that’s still open. It’s easy to know you’re behind without knowing by how much, and that number is the starting point for every decision after this.
The dates here follow the Wayne County Treasurer’s process. If your home is in Monroe County, ask the Monroe County Treasurer how its office handles delinquent taxes.
What do delinquent taxes cost a seller each month?
More every month, and the meter starts on March 1.
Here’s what Michigan’s process and the Wayne County Treasurer list for the first year of delinquency:
| When | What gets added |
|---|---|
| First March 1 after the bill | Taxes become delinquent. A 4% administration fee and interest of 1% per month are added |
| October 1 after that | A $15 fee is added to the parcel |
| The next March 1 | The property forfeits to the county treasurer. A $175 fee is added, plus recording fees, and interest goes up |
Let’s put rough numbers on it. Say $3,000 in taxes is still unpaid on March 1. The 4% administration fee adds $120. Interest at 1% a month adds $30 for each month it stays unpaid. By October, after seven months of interest and the $15 fee, the bill has grown by about $345. That’s only an illustration. Your actual payoff depends on your parcel, the exact dates and anything else the county adds, so get the real number from the treasurer.
Ask your title company how it will handle the tax payoff at closing, and put the figure on your net sheet early, next to your mortgage payoff and other selling costs. That way you can see what a given sale price leaves you before you accept an offer.
There is also a cost you won’t see on the payoff letter. Every month the house sits on the market with delinquent taxes, the number you owe goes up while your asking price stays the same. That’s worth raising with your agent when you talk about pricing the home and how long it may take to sell.
How long before forfeiture turns into foreclosure?
About a year. Forfeiture and foreclosure are two different steps, and it pays to know which one you’re facing.
Forfeiture happens on March 1 of the second year, when the taxes have been delinquent for a full year. The property forfeits to the county treasurer, the $175 fee and recording fees are added, and interest rises. Forfeiture is not foreclosure. The Wayne County Treasurer says a property in forfeited status still has one year before it is foreclosed, and the taxes, interest and fees can still be paid before the redemption deadline. If you’re selling, that year is the window to get to a closing.
Foreclosure comes next. Michigan’s process says real property taxes still unpaid on March 31 in the third year of delinquency are foreclosed. The Wayne County Treasurer describes the same deadline: a property delinquent for one year forfeits the following March 1 and may be foreclosed the year after that on March 31. Once that redemption date passes, the right to redeem the property expires. In a contested case the date can differ, and a payment plan or other arrangement on your account may matter too, so confirm your own deadline with the treasurer.
In plain terms, here’s how one tax year plays out:
- Year one. Taxes are billed in summer and winter by your city or township.
- March 1 of the next year. Unpaid taxes go delinquent and move to the county.
- March 1 a year later. The property forfeits. More fees and higher interest.
- March 31 the year after that. If the taxes, interest and fees are still unpaid, the property can be foreclosed in an uncontested case.
Between forfeiture and foreclosure, the county keeps moving. Michigan’s process and the Wayne County Treasurer both describe a show cause hearing and a circuit court judgment of foreclosure before the March 31 deadline. If you get a notice about either one, treat it as a sign the clock is running.
How should you plan a Downriver sale around the tax deadlines?
Work backward from the next deadline you’re facing, not from the date you’d like to list.
Start by figuring out which stage you’re in. If only the current year’s bills are open, you’re still dealing with your local treasurer until March 1. If last year’s taxes are still unpaid after March 1 of this year, you’re delinquent and dealing with the county. If the year before that is unpaid too, you may already be forfeited, and the March 31 foreclosure date is the one that matters.
Then count back from that date. A sale isn’t done when you sign a purchase agreement. Ask your agent and the title company how much time the steps after signing usually take for a home like yours, then give yourself room for a delay, and maybe a second buyer if the first one falls through.
If you’re already forfeited, bring up timing with your agent before you talk about price. Ask whether the repairs, showing period and closing window you have in mind fit before the deadline, and what would have to change if they don’t.
A few practical moves help here:
- Get the payoff in writing before you list. Ask the Wayne County Treasurer for the amount due on your parcel through your target closing month. You want the real figure on your net sheet, not a guess.
- Tell your listing agent and the title company at the start. Bringing it up first gives them time to plan the payoff instead of finding it late in the deal. Our post on what the title company does in a Michigan sale explains its role.
- Ask about payment options too. Call the treasurer and ask what options exist for your situation before you decide selling is the only way out. Selling may still be the right call, but you’ll make it with the full picture.
- Ask how the next bills affect the payoff. Every bill that is still unpaid on the next March 1 becomes delinquent too, so ask the treasurer and your title company how upcoming bills fit your closing date.
If you’re also planning where you’ll live next, our guide to preparing a Downriver home for sale covers the rest of the prep, from repairs to showings.
What should you have ready before you call an agent?
You don’t need everything figured out. You do need a few facts, because they decide whether a normal listing timeline still works for you.
Have these ready:
- Your parcel number and the property address. Have them handy for any call about the taxes.
- Which tax years are unpaid. Check whether it’s the current year, last year or more than one year.
- Any notices from the Wayne County Treasurer. A forfeiture notice or a notice of a show cause hearing tells you how far along the process is.
- Your mortgage payoff, if you have a loan. Add it to the tax payoff to see what the sale has to cover.
- The date you need to be out. If you’re moving before the house sells, read our post on keeping your principal residence exemption when you move first before the next tax bill arrives.
With those numbers in hand, the conversation gets simple. Will a sale at a realistic price cover the taxes, the mortgage and your selling costs? Can it close well before the next deadline? If both answers are yes, you have a plan. If either answer is no, call the Wayne County Treasurer and talk with your agent before you list. Our post on when to hand over the seller’s disclosure covers the next paperwork step once you’re ready.
Frequently asked questions
Is March 31 always the last day to redeem?
Not in every case. Michigan's process and the Wayne County Treasurer both say redemption rights expire on March 31 after a foreclosure judgment in an uncontested case, and within 21 days of the judgment in a contested case. Ask the treasurer which date applies to your parcel.
Where do I get a payoff figure for delinquent taxes?
The Wayne County Treasurer's tax information line is (313) 224-5990. Ask for the total due on your parcel as of your expected closing date, because interest and fees keep changing the number.
Will the county warn me before it forecloses?
Yes. Michigan's process and the Wayne County Treasurer both describe notices sent during the first year of delinquency and more notices before foreclosure. Don't wait for the last one. Each notice means more time has passed and more interest has been added.
What happens to the house if it is foreclosed?
Michigan's process and the Wayne County Treasurer both describe tax-foreclosed property being offered to government units and sold at public auction. Michigan also has a process for claiming remaining sale proceeds, with filing deadlines. A sale you arrange before foreclosure keeps those decisions in your hands.
Sources
Ready to talk strategy? Call David Goad at 313-319-7688.
If you want to dig deeper into the local market, check out the Downriver MI Real Estate Guide. And if you want to get a better feel for who I am and how I work, here's the About David Goad — Downriver Realtor page. If you're comparing agents and trying to figure out who really knows this market, this page on the best Realtor in Downriver MI gives you more context too.
