Illinois has some of the highest property tax rates in the country. If you own a home in St. Clair or Madison County and you’ve fallen behind, you’re not just dealing with a bill — you’re on a countdown.
The county won’t wait forever. There’s a process that ends with someone else owning your property. Here’s exactly how that process works, what your real options are, and why moving fast matters more than most people realize.
Illinois counties sell delinquent tax liens at annual tax sales. Here’s the basic timeline:
In St. Clair and Madison County, the tax sale process moves on a set schedule. Once a tax buyer applies for a tax deed, your window to get out narrows fast.
The bottom line: the longer you wait, the more you owe, and the fewer options you have.
Yes. You can sell the house even if you owe back taxes. The taxes get paid out of the sale proceeds at closing — you don’t have to come up with the money upfront.
Here’s how it works:
If the back taxes plus your mortgage balance is less than the sale price, you walk away with cash. If they’re close to or exceed the sale price, you may net little or nothing — but you do clear the debt and stop the tax deed clock.
It’s not just the original tax amount. Illinois adds:
A $3,000 tax bill from three years ago can easily reach $5,000–7,000 or more once interest, penalties, and any tax buyer fees stack up. Get the exact payoff amount from the county treasurer’s office before assuming what you owe.
In St. Clair and Madison County, the standard redemption period is 2 years from the date of the tax sale — but the exact deadline can vary based on property type and whether any extensions were granted. Don’t estimate. Look up your specific redemption date through the St. Clair County Treasurer’s website or call their office directly. Madison County has the same online lookup. It’s free, public record, and takes 2 minutes. If you’re close to any deadline, talk to a real estate attorney — the consequences of missing it are permanent.
📞 Not sure where you stand? Call Jim at (618) 800-2635 — we’ve bought houses with multiple years of back taxes and can tell you within 24 hours whether a sale makes sense for your situation.
Every month you wait:
We’ve talked to homeowners who didn’t realize how close they were to losing the property until the deadline was almost gone. Don’t let that be you.
If you’re not sure where you stand, call the county treasurer’s office and ask for your delinquent tax balance and whether any liens have been sold at tax sale. That information is public record.
Traditional buyers using a mortgage can get spooked by back taxes. Their lender may require all taxes to be cleared before closing, which creates a chicken-and-egg problem when you don’t have cash on hand to pay them.
Cash buyers don’t have that problem. We’ve bought houses with multiple years of back taxes. We handle the payoff at closing, the title company clears the liens, and you’re done.
We also don’t require repairs, inspections, or showings. If the house has been neglected because money’s been tight — that’s fine. We buy it as-is.
If you own a home in Metro East Illinois with delinquent property taxes:
If the sale makes sense, we can close fast — often in 7–14 days — which is usually well within even a tight redemption window.
Back taxes feel like a bigger problem than they usually are once you know the numbers. We deal with this regularly and can tell you within 24 hours whether a sale makes sense for your situation.
No repairs. No commissions. No obligation. Just a real number on your home.
Simply Sold LLC buys houses throughout Metro East Illinois — Belleville, O’Fallon, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Alton, Granite City, Swansea, Fairview Heights, Troy, Maryville, and surrounding St. Clair and Madison County communities.