Selling a House With a Lien on It
A lien does not stop you selling. It means someone has a claim that has to be paid, or released, before the buyer gets clear title — and in a sale that runs through a title company, that happens at closing, out of the proceeds.
What matters is which kind of lien you have. Delinquent property tax, an IRS lien, an HOA lien and a contractor’s lien are created differently, rank differently and are cleared differently. Below is how each works in Nevada, with the statute or agency page behind each point so you can check it. We are not attorneys or tax advisers, and none of this is legal or tax advice.
How delinquent property tax works in Clark County
This is the lien with a fixed public timeline, and the one with the hardest deadline at the end. Here is the sequence from the Treasurer’s own information and NRS Chapter 361.
- 1
The bill comes due
Nevada property tax is a lien on the house from July 1 of the tax year, and it outranks every other lien, including your mortgage (NRS 361.450). The bill is due the third Monday in August, and it can be paid in four installments: August, then the first Mondays of October, January and March (NRS 361.483).
- 2
Penalties start after a 10-day grace period
An installment not paid within 10 days of its due date picks up a 4 percent penalty, and further penalties are added as more installments go unpaid (NRS 361.483). The Clark County Treasurer mails a notice of delinquency within 30 days after the first Monday in March (NRS 361.5648), and taxes still unpaid at the end of April are advertised as delinquent in the newspaper and on the Treasurer’s website.
- 3
The first Monday in June: the two-year redemption period begins
If the amount is still owed at close of business that day, a certificate issues to the Treasurer as trustee, and the property can be redeemed within two years by paying the taxes, penalties and costs, plus interest at 10 percent a year assessed monthly (NRS 361.570). If the county determines the property is abandoned, that period is one year instead. You still have time here — but the balance grows every month.
- 4
The deed goes to the Treasurer in trust
If nobody redeems within the period, the property is deeded to the Treasurer to hold in trust (NRS 361.585). The Treasurer describes this as happening once a property is delinquent three consecutive fiscal years. Even now the owner can have it conveyed back by paying everything owed — up to close of business on the third business day before a sale (NRS 361.585).
- 5
The tax auction
A sale is ordered by the county commissioners, and notice goes by certified mail at least 90 days beforehand (NRS 361.595). The Treasurer holds at least one auction a year, usually in spring and sometimes again in fall, and properties sell as-is. If the sale brings in more than was owed, the former owner can claim the excess in writing — but only within one year after the Treasurer’s deed is recorded (NRS 361.610).
The other liens we see on Las Vegas houses
A federal tax lien
This arises when the IRS assesses a balance, sends a Notice and Demand for Payment, and it goes unpaid. The IRS then files a public Notice of Federal Tax Lien, which is how it shows up on a title search. It reaches all of your property, including real estate and financial assets, not just the house. Paying in full gets it released within 30 days, according to the IRS; a sale that will not cover the whole debt can still close with a certificate of discharge, which the IRS asks you to request at least 45 days ahead.
An HOA lien
Unpaid assessments and fines become a lien in favor of the association, and Nevada gives part of it — up to nine months of assessments, plus capped collection costs — priority over a first mortgage (NRS 116.3116). An HOA can foreclose on that lien, so it deserves the same urgency as a mortgage default. Our Nevada foreclosure guide covers the lender side of that process.
A mechanic’s lien
A contractor or supplier who was not paid can record one within 90 days of finishing the work (NRS 108.226), and it lapses after six months unless they go to court (NRS 108.233). A “notice of right to lien” from a subcontractor is not the same thing — the statutory form itself says it is not a notice of non-payment (NRS 108.245).
Your options
The first two keep the house. We are listing them first on purpose.
Pay or redeem directly
For property tax, the Clark County Treasurer can give you the redemption amount, and paying it ends the process at any stage up to three business days before a sale.
Work it out with the lienholder
The IRS offers discharge, subordination and withdrawal in the right circumstances; a contractor or HOA may settle. A tax professional or Nevada attorney earns their fee here.
List it
If there is equity above the liens and time before any deadline, a listing usually nets more than a cash sale. The liens get paid at closing either way.
Sell it as-is for cash
When a deadline is close, the house needs work, or you simply want it finished, a cash sale removes the buyer’s financing as a point of failure.
Where we come in
If selling is the right move, we can look at the house as it is, make a no-obligation cash offer, and close through a licensed Nevada title and escrow company that pays the liens out of the proceeds — subject to the signed agreement and the title work. Tell us every lien you know about up front; the title search will find the rest, and it is better to plan around them than be surprised in escrow. If paying the tax and staying, or listing, is the better answer, we will tell you, and we take no referral fee for it. You can read how a sale with us runs, start to finish, on our process page.
A lien sale we helped with
A year behind on everything, with back taxes on the title
North Las Vegas
A North Las Vegas homeowner called us in pre-foreclosure, afraid she could lose the house any day. She and her husband had both been sick, and for close to a year they had not been able to pay anything on the house: not the mortgage, and not the property taxes. There was also a solar-panel balance tied to the property.
We told her our offer covered the repairs, so she would not have to fix anything first. The title report showed the back property taxes along with the mortgage and the solar balance, and all of it was paid off from the sale at closing, before the house could go to a tax sale or a foreclosure auction. We closed about a month after she signed.
As told by Alex Wentland, CEO — September 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about selling with liens
Can I sell a house that has a tax lien on it?
Yes, in the general case. The liens are paid from the sale proceeds at closing, with the title company getting a payoff figure from each lienholder. The questions that matter are whether the sale price covers everything owed, and — for an IRS lien — whether you need a certificate of discharge, which the IRS asks you to apply for at least 45 days before the closing date.
How long before Clark County takes my house for unpaid property tax?
Longer than people fear, but not forever. Taxes unpaid by the first Monday in June start a two-year redemption period (one year if the property is determined abandoned) under NRS 361.570. After that the property is deeded to the Treasurer in trust, and it can then be auctioned after at least 90 days’ mailed notice (NRS 361.595). You can still pay and have it conveyed back until the third business day before the sale (NRS 361.585).
I have a federal tax lien. What does the IRS need from a sale?
Paying the tax debt in full is the simplest route; the IRS says it releases the lien within 30 days after that. If the sale will not cover the full debt, a certificate of discharge (Form 14135, explained in IRS Publication 783) can release the lien from the house alone — for example when the IRS is paid the value of its interest in the property, when that interest has no value because senior debts exceed the sale price, or when proceeds are held in escrow under an agreement with the IRS. A tax professional is worth having for this.
My HOA put a lien on the house. Does that come ahead of my mortgage?
Partly, yes. Under NRS 116.3116 an HOA has a lien for assessments and fines, and a portion of it — up to nine months of regular assessments before the HOA records a notice of default, plus capped collection costs — has priority even over a first deed of trust. Property-tax liens still rank ahead of it. Get a current payoff from the HOA or its collection company before you list or sell.
A contractor filed a lien against my house. Is that permanent?
No. In Nevada a mechanic’s lien generally has to be recorded within 90 days after the work is completed (NRS 108.226), and it stops binding the property six months after recording unless the contractor starts a court action or a recorded extension is signed (NRS 108.233). It can also be released by posting a surety bond (NRS 108.2413). If you disputed the work, talk to a Nevada attorney before you pay it at closing.
What if the liens add up to more than the house is worth?
Then a straight sale will not clear them, and we will tell you so rather than pretend otherwise. Lienholders sometimes negotiate, and the IRS discharge rules specifically cover a property where its interest has no value. That conversation belongs with a tax professional or attorney, and we are happy to point you to one.
Do I have to pay you anything to find out where I stand?
No. Looking at the house and giving you an offer is free and carries no obligation, and when we buy, we cover the standard closing costs. If paying the taxes and listing is the better move for you, we will say that and take no referral fee.
About this guide
Written by the team at Alex Buys Vegas Houses, a Henderson-based property solutions company that buys houses across the Las Vegas Valley and Boulder City. We buy houses across the Las Vegas Valley with property-tax, HOA, contractor and federal tax liens on them, and we tell owners plainly when paying the lien and keeping the house, or listing, is the better route. For tax questions, talk to a CPA or enrolled agent.
Last reviewed September 2026. This is general information about Nevada's process, not legal advice — for advice about your specific situation, talk to a Nevada attorney or a HUD-approved housing counselor.
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