The Texas Tax Sale and Tax Deed Guide
A Texas starter on property-tax foreclosure: the lawsuit in Chapter 33, the officer's sale in §34.01, struck-off resales under §34.05, and the owner's redemption under §34.21. It does not tell you to bid.
Not legal advice. Consult a Texas attorney before you bid or before you rely on a tax deed.
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PDF · 35 pages. Pro includes every paid guide.
Who it is for. People who need the difference between a tax sale and a trustee sale.
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What is inside
- How a Texas property-tax foreclosure works
- How a tax sale differs from a trustee sale
- When and where the sale is held
- Struck-off property and resales
- Finding a tax-sale list
- Research and due diligence
- Bidding and payment
- The deed, title insurance, and quiet title
- Excess proceeds and a challenge to the sale
- Redemption
- Occupied property
- Risks
- Glossary
- Checklist
Questions
Is a tax sale the same as a first-Tuesday trustee sale?
No. A trustee sale follows a deed of trust under Property Code §51.002. A tax sale follows a judgment or a tax warrant under Tax Code Chapter 34. They can fall on the same Tuesday. The notice, the officer, and the redemption right are different.
How long does the former owner have to redeem?
Section 34.21 gives 180 days for most real property, and two years if the property was the owner's residence homestead or land designated for agricultural use when the suit or warrant application was filed, or if it is a mineral interest. The clock starts when the deed described in that section is filed for record.
What is the redemption premium?
On a two-year redemption, §34.21 adds 25 percent of the aggregate total in the first year and 50 percent in the second year. On property limited to 180 days, the premium payable to a purchaser other than a taxing unit may not exceed 25 percent.