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Sell Your House With Back Property Taxes in Houston, Texas

Behind on property taxes in Houston? We buy houses with delinquent taxes, pay them off at closing, and can close before a tax sale, so you walk away with cash instead of losing the property.

Get your cash offer, no pressure

If you owe back property taxes on a house in Houston, selling to us clears them at closing. We buy as-is, cover closing costs, handle the tax payoff and any liens through title. Closing timelines vary; ask us for the timeline on your property. If a tax sale date is set, reach out as early as possible so we can act before the auction.

About Houston

The City of Houston does not have zoning. Development is governed by ordinance codes that address how property can be subdivided; the city codes do not address land use. (City of Houston Planning & Development)
Houston's Planning and Development Department regulates land development inside the city and in its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). (City of Houston Planning & Development)
Some Houston blocks have a Special Minimum Lot Size or Special Minimum Building Line under Chapter 42 of the city code. Once approved, new lots there cannot be created smaller than the set minimum; existing lots do not have to change. (City of Houston: Special Minimum Lot Size / Building Line)
Under Chapter 212 of the Texas Local Government Code and Sections 10-551 to 10-555 of the city code, the City of Houston can sue to enforce certain residential deed restrictions. Its Legal Department takes complaints on a deed restriction complaint form. (City of Houston Legal Department: deed restrictions)
Harris County property, including Houston, is appraised by the Harris County appraisal district, based in Houston. Its website is www.hcad.org. (Texas Comptroller county directory: Harris County)

Appraisal district: Harris County appraisal district (www.hcad.org)

Does Houston have zoning?

No. The City of Houston does not have zoning. Its ordinance codes govern how property can be subdivided, not how land is used. Deed restrictions can still limit what you build.

Can I split my Houston lot into smaller lots?

It depends on the block. Where a Special Minimum Lot Size applies under Chapter 42 of the city code, new lots cannot be smaller than the set minimum. Check with the Planning and Development Department before you plan a split.

Who enforces deed restrictions in Houston?

The City of Houston can sue to enforce certain residential deed restrictions under Chapter 212 of the Texas Local Government Code and Sections 10-551 to 10-555 of its code. The city's Legal Department takes complaints on a deed restriction complaint form.

You do not have to list, stage, or repair anything to sell your Houston property to us. Many Houston sellers are dealing with back taxes, liens, or title problems that scare off retail buyers. Land Dreamz buys directly with our own money, so there are no agents, no commissions, and no repairs. You pick the closing date and we close at a Texas title company. We also buy across nearby Harris County towns like Atascocita, Channelview, Klein, Crosby, Pasadena.

Behind on taxes or facing foreclosure in Houston?

Property in Houston is appraised by the Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD), and Harris County is the most populous county in Texas. As the seat of Harris County, Houston is where the county courthouse and tax offices sit, so local closings and records are handled right here. In Texas, tax foreclosure sales happen on the first Tuesday of each month and the Harris County process runs through the county seat in Houston. If you are behind in Houston, you generally have until that sale date to sell or pay off what is owed. A residence homestead also carries a two year right of redemption after a tax sale, and other property has six months. We can often close before a sale date and clear the taxes at closing so you walk away clean.

Back taxes in Harris County

The Harris County Tax Office publishes the list of properties set for its delinquent tax sales on its website, with the sale number, judgment date and tax years for each account. (Harris County Tax Office: tax sale listings)