How to get a tax delinquent list in Michigan
In Michigan, unpaid property tax is collected by the county treasurer. The system for unpaid tax is: county tax foreclosure. LeadCounty tracks 48,359 tax-delinquent properties in 4 Michigan counties, refreshed weekly. Some counties publish their list free; LeadCounty matches, scores and filters the records for you.
Where the official list lives
The office is the county treasurer. Whether it shows a full delinquent list, a parcel-by-parcel search or a sale notice, and whether there is a fee, is decided by each county, so check the office's website for your county.
Property tax rolls and ownership come from the county auditor, assessor or appraiser. A parcel number links the tax record to the deed and the owner's mailing address.
The free route
Many counties let you look up a parcel's tax status for free, and some publish the whole list. If you only need one list in one county, the county office may be enough. LeadCounty is useful when you want the records of many offices matched to the right property, scored with reasons, and refreshed every week, with filters such as years behind, amount owed and absentee owner.
Tax delinquent properties in Michigan counties we cover
| County | Tax delinquent | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne County (Detroit) | 42,821 | 807,937 |
| Macomb County (Warren) | 5,296 | 332,967 |
| Oakland County (Pontiac) | 206 | 490,628 |
| Kent County (Grand Rapids) | 36 | 230,507 |
Michigan tax sale rules at a glance
- Unpaid tax
- County tax foreclosure. Unpaid taxes are forfeited to the county treasurer after one year and foreclosed after about two; foreclosed properties go to the county auction in late summer.
- Redemption period
- The owner can pay until the foreclosure takes effect on March 31 of the foreclosure year; since 2020 (Rafaeli) former owners can claim leftover sale proceeds.
- Mortgage foreclosure
- Non-judicial. Most mortgages are foreclosed by advertisement with a sheriff's sale; for most homes the owner then has 6 months to redeem.
- Statute
- MCL 211.78 and following (General Property Tax Act: foreclosure)
General information, not legal advice. Check the statute and the county office before you act.
Questions
Who has the tax delinquent list in Michigan?
Unpaid property tax is collected by the county treasurer. Some counties publish the full list on that office's website; others only let you search one parcel at a time. The format and any fee are set by each county.
Is the tax delinquent list in Michigan free?
Often the county shows delinquent accounts for free, one parcel at a time. Some publish a full list or sell it. LeadCounty's value is matching, scoring and filtering the records, not owning them.
What happens to a tax delinquent property in Michigan?
See the table above for the sale type and redemption period. Check the statute and your county office for the current rules.
How we make these guides
Written by the LeadCounty editorial and data team from official county, court and state sources and our own weekly counts. We name the office behind every number, say what we cannot see, and fix mistakes when you tell us. See our editorial standards and methodology. General information, not legal or financial advice. Refreshed weekly.
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