Answer

If your property in DeKalb County, Georgia was sold at a tax sale for unpaid property taxes, you may still have the right to redeem it. We help former owners understand, protect, and transfer their statutory right of redemption before it expires or is foreclosed.

If you have lost your property to a tax sale in DeKalb County, you may still hold a valuable right—the right to redeem your property. This right allows you, or anyone with an interest in the property, to reclaim ownership by paying the required redemption price within the legal time limits. Our firm assists former owners in understanding their options, calculating deadlines and amounts, and handling the paperwork for redemption or for selling the right to redeem.

Why choose us

  • We represent former owners of property sold at a DeKalb County tax sale.
  • We explain your rights in plain language and help you make informed decisions.
  • We handle the legal steps to redeem your property or transfer your right to redeem.
  • Our office is located at 160 W Camino Real, 589, Boca Raton, FL 33432. Call us at (561) 933-4747 to discuss your situation.

Services offered

  • Review of tax sale documents and notices from DeKalb County.
  • Calculation of the redemption price and deadlines.
  • Preparation and recording of deeds to transfer the right to redeem.
  • Handling the redemption process, including tendering payment to the tax deed purchaser.
  • Guidance on what happens to liens and mortgages after redemption.
  • Assistance with disputes over redemption and quiet title actions in the Superior Court of DeKalb County.

Steps

  1. Review your tax sale paperwork.
    We examine the tax deed and any notices you received to confirm the type of sale and your current rights.

  2. Determine who may redeem.
    The former owner, or anyone with a right, title, interest, or lien on the property, may redeem. If you wish, you can sell your right to redeem by quitclaim deed.

  3. Calculate the redemption price and deadline.
    The redemption price includes the amount paid at the tax sale, plus any taxes or special assessments paid by the purchaser, plus a 20 percent premium for the first year (or part of a year) and 10 percent for each year (or part of a year) after that. After 12 months, the purchaser may serve a notice of foreclosure of the right to redeem, setting a final deadline.

  4. Decide whether to redeem or sell your right.
    If you choose to redeem, we handle the payment and paperwork. If you choose to sell your right, we prepare the deed and ensure you are paid before the deadline.

  5. Complete the redemption or transfer.
    If redeemed, the purchaser signs a quitclaim deed back to you, and any liens that existed at the time of the tax sale come back with the property.

Example

Suppose your home in DeKalb County was sold at a tax sale for $10,000. Within 12 months, you can redeem it by paying the purchaser the $10,000, plus any taxes or assessments they paid after the sale, plus a 20 percent premium (an extra $2,000 in this example). If you wait more than 12 months, the purchaser can serve a notice of foreclosure of the right to redeem through the sheriff, giving you at least 45 days’ notice. If you redeem after the notice, you must also pay the sheriff’s service and publication costs. If you decide not to redeem, you may sell your right to redeem to someone else by quitclaim deed before the deadline.

Common pitfalls

  • Missing the 12-month redemption window or the deadline set by a notice of foreclosure of the right to redeem.
  • Not including all required amounts in the redemption price, such as the 20 percent or 10 percent premium, or costs after notice.
  • Failing to check for a judicial in rem tax foreclosure, which has a 60-day redemption period and different payment rules.
  • Overlooking that liens and mortgages existing at the time of the tax sale survive redemption and return with the property.
  • Confusing the right to redeem with a claim for excess funds, which is a separate process with the tax commissioner.

FAQ

What is a tax sale in DeKalb County, Georgia? A tax sale happens when the county sells property to collect unpaid property taxes. The buyer receives a tax deed, but the former owner keeps a right to redeem the property. Who can redeem property after a tax sale? The former owner, or anyone with a right, title, interest, or lien on the property, may redeem. This right can also be sold to someone else by quitclaim deed. How long do I have to redeem my property? You may redeem at any time within 12 months of the tax sale. After 12 months, the purchaser can serve a notice of foreclosure of the right to redeem, giving you at least 45 days’ notice before your right ends. Some judicial in rem sales have a 60-day redemption period. What is the redemption price? The redemption price is the amount paid at the tax sale, plus any taxes or special assessments paid by the purchaser, plus a 20 percent premium for the first year (or part of a year) and 10 percent for each year (or part of a year) after that. If you redeem more than 30 days after notice, sheriff’s service and publication costs are added. What happens to mortgages or liens if I redeem? Any liens or mortgages that existed at the time of the tax sale return with the property after redemption. Can I sell my right to redeem? Yes. You may sell your right to redeem by quitclaim deed to another person or investor before the deadline. What if I do not redeem or sell my right? If no one redeems and the right is foreclosed, the purchaser’s title becomes absolute. A tax deed also ripens by prescription four years after it is recorded. Are excess funds from the tax sale part of the right to redeem? No. Excess funds are a separate claim with the official who held the sale, usually the tax commissioner. Does this page create an attorney-client relationship? No. This page is general information and does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Important information

Attorney advertising. Responsible attorney: Christian Cruz, Esq., Georgia Bar Number 238836. Office: CRUZ LAW FIRM, 160 W Camino Real, 589, Boca Raton, FL, 33432.

This page is general information about Georgia law, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship, and no such relationship is formed until we have a signed written agreement.

Fee arrangements depend on the posture of the matter and are set out in a written agreement before any work begins. We are glad to explain how fees would work in your situation when we speak.