Kenner property tax delinquency and cash sale: what happens to the arrears at closing

If you are behind on property taxes in Kenner or anywhere else in Jefferson Parish, the mail starts turning red. The Sheriff’s Office sends the annual tax notice. If it goes unpaid, it moves to a delinquent status and interest starts accruing. Eventually the property lands on the annual tax sale list, and if the taxes are not redeemed the parish sells a tax certificate. Now there is a tax buyer with a claim against your property, and the clock on their ability to file for a tax deed starts running.

Owners in this situation often assume they cannot sell the house. That is not right. You absolutely can sell a house with delinquent taxes. The taxes get paid at closing out of the sale proceeds. You just need a buyer who can move fast and who will not walk away when the title search comes back with the arrears on it.

We buy those houses. Every week.

What actually happens at closing

The title company pulls a certified tax status from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office as part of the closing package. They calculate the total owed: principal taxes, interest, penalties, sheriff’s fees, and (if applicable) the payoff to the tax certificate holder. That number comes out of the sale proceeds. The property transfers to us free and clear of the tax lien.

If the tax certificate has been sold at auction, the payoff includes the tax buyer’s principal plus statutory interest (currently 1 percent per month in Louisiana, capped at the applicable statutory rate). The title company handles the tax buyer payoff at closing. You do not have to coordinate with them.

If the redemption period has expired and the tax buyer has already filed a petition for a tax deed, the situation gets more complicated but is still often solvable. We work with real estate attorneys who handle Louisiana tax title issues, and we have closed on properties where the redemption clock was days from expiring.

The three tax-delinquency situations we see most

Situation one: the owner is one or two years behind, taxes are accruing interest, but no tax sale has happened yet. This is the easiest. We buy, taxes come out at closing, done.

Situation two: the property has been through a tax sale and a certificate has been issued, but the redemption period is still open. Also very doable. We buy, redemption happens at closing, tax buyer gets paid off, done.

Situation three: the redemption period has expired and the tax buyer has moved to quiet title. This is where we bring in the real estate attorney. Sometimes we can still close if we negotiate a payoff with the tax buyer that is more than their principal but less than the full property value. Sometimes we cannot. But it is worth the conversation.

Why sellers with tax arrears call us instead of listing retail

Speed and certainty. Every month you carry a delinquent-tax property, interest accrues at 1 percent per month plus penalties. Every month you wait to close is money off your net. A retail listing with tax arrears can take 60 to 120 days to sell (and might fall through on the inspection anyway). Every one of those days adds to the arrears total.

Our cash offer freezes the number. We close inside 30 days in most cases, faster if needed.

What you get at closing

Whatever is left after the tax arrears (and any other liens) are paid off. If the equity is thin, we tell you honestly and you decide. If the equity is meaningful, you walk away with a check or wire and no more tax notices.

Where we cover

Kenner and every other market in Jefferson Parish: Metairie, Harahan, River Ridge, Marrero, Gretna, Terrytown, and the rest. See the Kenner hub page for the local context.

How to start

Call (504) 920-4747 or fill out the form on the Kenner page. Bring your most recent tax notice and any tax-sale documentation and we will build the offer around it. Written cash number inside 24 hours. Read the how it works page for the full process.