Liens or Code Violations
Liens and citations don't have to stop a sale. We're used to tax liens, contractor liens, judgments, and open code violations, and we work with title to clear what can be cleared and pay off what needs paying at closing.
Most sellers find out about a lien the hard way: a title report kills a sale two weeks before closing. We'd rather start there. Early in the process our title company pulls everything recorded against the property — mortgages, second liens, judgments, tax balances, mechanic's liens, HOA or condo assessments, municipal citations — so we're both looking at the same list.
Then it's arithmetic. Liens that can be paid off get paid at settlement out of the purchase price. Liens that need negotiating, we negotiate. If the total owed exceeds what the house is worth, we'll say so plainly and talk about a short sale instead of stringing you along.
What you can expect from us
- Tax liens, judgments, contractor liens, and HOA balances are routine.
- Open code violations don't stop our purchase.
- Payoffs come out of the proceeds — nothing out of pocket.
- We work with title from day one to see everything.
- We'll tell you honestly if a lien makes a sale impossible.
How this works where you live
Unpaid real property taxes can be sold at tax sale, and DC records infraction and abatement liens for unresolved housing-code violations.
Counties hold annual tax sales on delinquent accounts, and municipal citations plus water and sewer balances can attach to the property.
Delinquent taxes can lead to a judicial tax sale, and localities can record liens for abatement work such as weeds, debris, or demolition.
General information from our own experience — not legal or tax advice.
Bring us the ugly title report. We've almost certainly seen worse, and we'll tell you exactly what's possible.