Delinquent 3+ years

01How it is defined in LeadCounty

Certified delinquent for 3 or more years and still owes tax.

02How many are on the list today

03Why it matters

Several years behind is no longer an oversight. In many states this is when the county or a lien holder can start a tax foreclosure.

04Where it shows up in public records

The treasurer's or tax collector's delinquent records, which show the first year the account fell behind.

05How to find delinquent 3+ years in 3 steps

• Step 1, find the record: the treasurer's or tax collector's delinquent records, which show the first year the account fell behind.
• Step 2, match it to the property: join the record to the parcel by its parcel number and the owner's name and address, so you know which house it belongs to.
• Step 3, add a second reason: stack delinquent 3+ years with another list to see which owners have more than one reason to sell. LeadCounty does steps 1 and 2 for every property each week.

06How we count it

LeadCounty counts delinquent 3+ years from each county's own records and shows the number for every county in the table above, refreshed weekly. A county that does not publish the record shows no count rather than a guess.

07How to use it

• These owners are often the most open to a quick sale.
• Check for a payment plan first: an owner who is paying may want to keep the house.

08Best stacks with delinquent 3+ years

One list gives you a reason; two or three lists together give you owners with several reasons at once. The stacks that work best with delinquent 3+ years:

• Delinquent 3+ years + absentee owner: the owner gets the tax bill somewhere else, so the house is less personal to them.
• Delinquent 3+ years + high equity: the owner still has equity to protect, so a fair sale works for both sides.