Tax Delinquent · Chester, PA

Selling a Chester, PA House With Back Taxes

When real estate taxes go unpaid in Chester, the county does the collecting. Delaware County's Tax Claim Bureau handles delinquent taxes, and its upset sale usually occurs in early September, with a continued upset sale in early December. The city's own plan recommends targeted building-code enforcement for tax delinquent and absentee-landlord properties, so a tax balance and a code problem can show up together. Owners often learn how far behind they are only when the list is published, so a written balance now is worth more than a guess.

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Modest Delaware home with unresolved property tax debt

Our offer is cash and as-is, with no repair list and no agent commission, and it arrives within 24 hours. Closing takes 14 to 30 days, or waits for a date you set. Back taxes are a payoff item at closing, not something we can wave away. Your first call should be to the Tax Claim Bureau, to get a current written balance and the next sale date.

What’s different in Chester

How the county sale works

Delaware County publishes its sale lists in newspapers at least 30 days before the sale. Owners sometimes get court orders that stay a sale, and those parcels come off the list. An owner can also go to court to contest a sale, particularly if proper notice was not received. The Bureau is on the ground floor of the Government Center, 201 W. Front St., Media, open 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, weekdays, at 610-891-8294. Even if a parcel is withdrawn from the list, confirm the new status in writing, because a stay is not the same as a payoff.

Notice and installment rules

Pennsylvania's Real Estate Tax Sale Law requires publication at least 30 days before an upset sale, certified mail to each owner at least 30 days before, and posting the property at least 10 days before. The same section says a tax claim bureau may stay a sale if an owner or lien creditor enters an installment agreement on or before the actual sale. The Bureau decides whether that option fits your file. The installment option runs only until the sale itself, which is why early contact with the Bureau matters more than any decision about selling.

A city that is watching these properties

Chester Vision 2035 lists, as an ongoing recommendation led by City L&I, identifying tax delinquent and absentee landlord owned properties for targeted and increased building-code enforcement. It is a plan item, not a new law. The practical lesson is to settle taxes and code questions together, because a title search will surface municipal claims that qualify under state law. If the house also has code notices, collect them for the title company. A buyer will ask whether city items sit next to the tax balance.

Checklist before you sell

A current written balance from the Tax Claim Bureau
Every tax bill and notice, with the year and parcel number
Any installment agreement or court order
The deed and the names of every owner
Mortgage statement, if there is a loan
City code notices or open permits
Photos of the rooms and exterior you can safely show

How Kaizen can help

Send the address and the balance. We price the house as it stands, so the repairs a rowhouse or small multifamily needs are our concern rather than yours. You then lay the cash number next to the tax payoff, any mortgage and any other claim, to see whether a sale leaves you with money or a shortfall. If several people share the title, they all need to agree before anyone signs. That can add time.

A signed contract does not stop a tax sale. The Bureau or the court has to confirm that in writing, so keep answering notices until you have it. We can set a closing date around the next sale date when the title work allows. We can talk through timing around the September and December dates once we know where your parcel stands. Call or text Kaizen Home Buyers at 267-329-0084.

Tax Delinquent in Chester: questions

When is the Delaware County upset sale?

It usually occurs in early September, with a continued upset sale in early December. Exact dates are published by the county or available by phone at 610-891-8294.

Can I make payments instead of selling?

State law allows a tax claim bureau to stay a sale if an owner enters an installment agreement on or before the actual sale. The Bureau decides whether the option fits your file.

What if I never got a notice?

The county notes an owner may go to court to contest a sale on grounds of improper notice. Talk to an attorney quickly.

Can the taxes be paid from the sale?

Often, if the price covers the balance and the title company can get a payoff figure. If it does not, you need another source of funds.

Keep reading

We buy houses in Chester Tax Delinquent: full guide How to Sell an Inherited House in Delaware County, PA (Probate Guide)Facing Foreclosure in Delaware County, PA: Sheriff Sale Guide Selling a Vacant House in Chester, PA Selling a Chester, PA Rental Property Facing Foreclosure in Chester, PA: Your Options Selling a Philadelphia House With Back Property Taxes

Sources

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm details with the office or a professional.

Kaizen process steps (Kaizen Home Buyers, 2026-10-23)
City service-area content (Kaizen Home Buyers, 2026-06-30)
Real Estate Tax Sale Law, Section 602 (Pennsylvania General Assembly, 2026-07)
Municipal Claim and Tax Lien Law, Section 3 (Pennsylvania General Assembly, 2026-07)
Upset sale information (Delaware County, Pennsylvania Tax Claim Bureau, 2026-10)
Chester Vision 2035 Comprehensive Plan (City of Chester, 2023-09)

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