Falling behind on property taxes feels like a private emergency, but it follows a predictable legal path. Knowing the dates, penalties, redemption rights and payment options can help you act while you still have choices.
Quick answer. In San Antonio, Bexar County property taxes become delinquent after January 31, after which Tex. Tax Code § 33.01 penalties and interest accrue and taxing units may sue and seek a sheriff's tax sale. BuyHousesInCash notes that Texas gives homestead owners extra protections, including installment agreements and a two-year redemption period under § 34.21, but acting before a lawsuit is filed leaves the most options. Figures here are directional; specific balances vary by property.
If you're behind on San Antonio property taxes, call the Bexar County tax office about a payment plan before a lawsuit is filed. If paying is not realistic, selling can protect the equity you have left.
Property taxes are one of the largest recurring costs of owning a home in Texas, which has no state income tax and relies heavily on local property taxes to fund schools, counties, cities and special districts. In Bexar County, a single address can be taxed by several units at once: the county, the city, a school district, a hospital district and a college district, among others. When values rise faster than incomes, or when an owner on a fixed income faces a bill that has grown, a tax payment can slip from manageable to unaffordable.
This article does not quote a specific countywide delinquency rate. Published figures differ by source, tax year and which units are counted, and an unverified number would mislead more than it would help. What can be said with confidence is the pattern: delinquency tends to concentrate among owners who are older, inherited a house they did not plan to carry, own vacant or tenant-occupied property, or dropped an escrow arrangement after paying off or refinancing a mortgage. If any of that describes your situation, you are not unusual, and the law has more tools for you than most people realize.
If you own a house in San Antonio, Converse or Boerne and have received a delinquent notice, the most useful thing to know is that timing drives your options. Early on, you can often negotiate. After a lawsuit is filed, costs rise and choices narrow.
Under Tex. Tax Code § 31.02, taxes are due upon receipt of the bill and become delinquent if not paid before February 1 of the year after the tax year. A 2025 bill, for example, is generally delinquent if unpaid after January 31, 2026. The exact due dates and any extensions for disaster declarations should be confirmed with the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector.
Once an account is delinquent, penalty and interest start. Tex. Tax Code § 33.01 sets the penalty at 6 percent for the first month, increasing by 1 percent each month to a maximum of 12 percent by July, with interest of 1 percent per month on top. If the unit has contracted with a collection attorney, § 33.07 allows an additional collection penalty on taxes that remain delinquent after a certain date, which can add materially to the balance. Different taxing units may collect separately or through a shared attorney, so read each notice carefully.
A delinquent account does not turn into a lost house overnight. The typical path is a series of notices, followed by a lawsuit filed by one or more taxing units to collect the debt and foreclose the tax lien. Texas treats a tax lien as superior to most other claims on the property, including a mortgage, which is why lenders also pay close attention to delinquent taxes and may advance payment and add it to the loan.
If a court enters judgment, the property can be ordered sold at a sheriff or constable sale under Tex. Tax Code ch. 34. Texas tax sales are traditionally held on the first Tuesday of the month at a location announced in public notice. A successful bidder receives a tax deed, but the former owner often keeps statutory rights of redemption, discussed below. Lawsuit notices, citations and judgments carry legal deadlines. Do not ignore papers served on you, and consider speaking with a Texas attorney, a legal aid organization or the tax office promptly.
Our tax sale timeline tool lays out the general sequence, and the tax sale defense kit summarizes questions to ask at each stage. Neither replaces advice from a licensed attorney about your case.
One of the most important protections in Texas law is the right of redemption. Under Tex. Tax Code § 34.21, an owner may redeem property sold at a tax sale by paying the amounts the statute requires. For a residence homestead or land designated for agricultural use, the redemption period runs two years from the date the purchaser's deed is filed for record. For other property, the period is shorter, generally 180 days.
Redemption is not free: it typically requires paying the purchase price plus statutory additions, and in some situations costs and interest. It also does not erase the original taxes owed; those were paid through the sale. But for an owner who has regained some financial footing, redemption can be a real way to keep a home. Because the deadline is strict and tied to when the deed is recorded, anyone in this position should confirm the date in writing from the county or an attorney instead of relying on memory.
Before a lawsuit, ask about relief. Tex. Tax Code § 31.032 allows homestead owners to enter installment agreements with the taxing unit on delinquent taxes, which can stop collection activity as long as payments are made. Tex. Tax Code § 33.06 allows homeowners who are 65 or older, or who are disabled, to defer collection of taxes on a homestead, with interest continuing to accrue. Texas also offers homestead exemptions, including additional exemptions for seniors and disabled owners, under Tex. Tax Code § 11.13, which can reduce the bill going forward if you have not claimed them.
None of these tools is automatic. Each requires an application, documents and sometimes a deadline, and approval depends on the taxing unit and your facts. A good first step is to call or visit the Bexar County tax office, ask for a current payoff statement by taxing unit, and ask directly which of these options applies to you. If you have inherited the property, our guide for selling an inherited house covers how unpaid taxes interact with probate.
Not every delinquent property is a distressed owner-occupied home. Vacant lots, inherited houses with no one living in them, rental houses and out-of-state-owned properties all show up in tax delinquency data for different reasons. An heir who lives in another state may not realize the taxes were never paid after a parent passed away. A landlord with a house in poor condition may decide the repair bill is not worth the tax bill. A homeowner who paid off a mortgage may have lost the escrow payment that used to cover taxes automatically.
The property type matters because it shapes both your options and a buyer's interest. A homestead keeps stronger protections and a longer redemption period. A non-homestead rental or vacant house has fewer protections, and its tax lien may grow while it sits. Investors who watch tax delinquency lists generally look for properties where the debt is a small part of the value, because there is equity to share with a motivated seller.
If paying the taxes and keeping the house is not realistic, selling can be the way to protect equity. Delinquent taxes are a lien, but a lien can be paid at closing from the proceeds. A title company will request a payoff from each taxing unit, include that amount on the closing statement, and send you what remains. In many sales, the seller never writes a separate check for the taxes.
Whether to list or take a cash offer depends on condition, timing and equity. A listing may bring a higher price for a clean house if you can wait and the tax situation is not urgent. A cash offer may fit better if the house needs repairs, if there is a lawsuit or sale date approaching, or if you simply cannot carry the costs. Run both numbers through the net proceeds comparator and the cash offer estimator to see what you would keep after commissions, repairs, taxes and closing costs. If a mortgage is also involved, the mortgage payoff calculator helps you estimate the loan balance, and the stop foreclosure guide covers what to do if a lender has also started the process.
Distressed owners are a target for pressure tactics, so slow down. Ask any buyer to identify themselves and put the offer in writing. Be cautious of anyone who asks for an upfront fee, wants a deed signed before a title company is involved, or tells you that you have only hours to decide. Under Texas law, certain sale and equity transactions involving owners in default have additional requirements, so a Texas attorney or a HUD-approved housing counselor is worth a conversation before you sign. See how a cash sale compares in our cash buyer vs. realtor comparison.
Finally, remember that specific values vary by property. The balance you owe, the equity you hold, the condition of the house and the date of any lawsuit or sale all change the answer. Treat the ranges and rules in this article as a starting framework, and verify details with the Bexar County tax office, your title company and a licensed Texas attorney.
Texas property taxes are due when the bill is received and become delinquent if unpaid by the end of January 31 of the following year (Tex. Tax Code § 31.02). Penalty and interest begin accruing on February 1, so an owner who misses the deadline starts owing more each month.
Under Tex. Tax Code § 33.01, a penalty starts at 6 percent in the first month and rises by 1 percent monthly to a cap of 12 percent, plus interest of 1 percent per month. Taxing units may also add collection-attorney fees under § 33.07, so balances can grow quickly.
Yes. Taxing units can sue to collect and ask a court to order a sheriff or constable sale under Tex. Tax Code ch. 33 and ch. 34. Homestead owners have extra protections and a longer redemption period, but ignoring suit papers is risky. Speak with a Texas attorney promptly.
Often yes. Tex. Tax Code § 34.21 lets owners redeem a residence homestead or agricultural land within two years after the tax deed is recorded, and other property within 180 days, by paying the statutory amount. Rules are specific, so confirm deadlines with an attorney or the tax office.
Possibly. Texas law allows installment agreements for homestead owners under Tex. Tax Code § 31.032, and § 33.06 lets homeowners who are 65 or older, or disabled, defer collection on a homestead. Eligibility and terms vary, so ask the Bexar County tax office before the account goes to suit.
Generally yes. Delinquent taxes are a lien that must be paid from the sale proceeds at closing, and a title company will show the payoff amount. Selling before a tax sale can preserve any remaining equity. Compare a cash offer with listing to see your estimated net.
Yes, in a normal sale the back taxes, penalties, interest and fees are paid from the seller's proceeds through a title company, and the seller receives what remains. A cash buyer such as BuyHousesInCash can often close quickly, but the amount of equity still depends on the property and the debt.
BuyHousesInCash buys houses across the San Antonio metro in any condition, with no commissions, no repair requirements and no obligation to accept an offer. If back taxes are weighing on you, we are glad to walk through your numbers and timeline before you decide anything.
Start with the cash offer estimator, review the Texas cash home buyer page, read local detail for San Antonio, Cibolo and Converse, use the tax sale timeline tool, and grab the tax sale defense kit. You can also learn more about John Quigley.