Behind on property taxes? Don't ignore the letter.

5 steps, locked

• ✓1.Call the Treasurer's office FIRST.Before you assume you're out of options, call the county or city Treasurer listed on your notice. They can tell you the exact balance, the deadlines, and whether you qualify for a payment plan. Most localities would rather set up a plan than run a tax sale.
• ✓2.Ask about a payment plan.Many Virginia localities offer installment agreements that stop the clock on a tax sale as long as you stay current. Get the terms in writing.
• ✓3.Know the tax-sale timeline.In Virginia a locality generally can't start a judicial tax sale until taxes have been delinquent for a set period (often about two or more years). You usually have more time than the letter makes it feel — but penalties and interest keep adding up, so don't wait.
• ✓4.Weigh selling before the sale.If keeping it isn't realistic, selling before a tax sale lets you keep your equity instead of losing it in the process. An as-is sale can close fast and pay the county directly at closing.
• ✓5.Redeem BEFORE the sale — not after.In Virginia you can pay everything owed — taxes, penalties, interest, and costs — and reclaim the property any time up until the day before the auction. But unlike some states, Virginia has NO redemption after the sale: once it's sold and the court confirms the bid, it's gone for good. That's exactly why acting early matters.