What happens if you don't pay property taxes in Louisiana?
In general, unpaid property taxes end up in a tax sale, and since January 1, 2026, that sale works differently than it did before. The parish tax collector can sell a tax lien on the property for the unpaid taxes. You keep the house, but you owe the back taxes plus the added costs.
This page explains the general picture. It is not legal or tax advice, and the details matter. Your parish tax collector and a lawyer can tell you what applies to your property.
Want a cash offer, or to have us take over the payments? Call or text Charlie at (318) 714-4321, or Get My Cash Offer. Cash is not promised on every house. No fee, no obligation.
What changed on January 1, 2026
Louisiana rewrote the rules for tax sales, effective January 1, 2026. The change came from the Legislature (Act 409 of 2024) and a constitutional amendment that voters approved. Before this, a tax sale could transfer the property itself to the buyer. Now the tax sale is a tax lien sale.
In plain words:
- A tax lien sale sells the debt, not the house. The buyer pays the unpaid taxes and gets a lien on the property, not ownership of it.
- You generally keep ownership for a period of time, and you can pay off what is owed to clear the lien.
- The lien can't just take the house overnight. Under the new system, the lien holder generally has to wait and then go through a legal step to enforce it, and you generally have a chance to pay before that finishes.
- Older sales follow the older rules. A property sold at a tax sale before 2026 generally keeps the older redemption rules.
The exact waiting periods, notices, interest and costs are set in Louisiana's tax law, found in Title 47 of the Revised Statutes. Read the sections that apply to you or ask a lawyer, because the numbers are specific and we don't want to give you the wrong one.
Who to call: the tax collector in your parish
In Louisiana, the sheriff is the parish tax collector, so the first call is to the sheriff's tax office. Ask for the exact amount owed, whether your property has been listed for a tax lien sale, and what it takes to pay it off.
- Caddo Parish: Caddo Parish Sheriff, Shreveport.
- Bossier Parish: Bossier Parish Sheriff, Benton. The sheriff's site lists tax lien sales.
- DeSoto Parish: DeSoto Parish Sheriff, Mansfield.
Call or check the sheriff's site for office hours, how to pay, and how to see your bill. Also check the parish assessor's site to be sure the owner name and address on file are right, because notices go to the address on record. Notices that go to an old address are a common problem, so keep yours current.
What you can do
You have options, and the free ones come first.
- Ask the tax collector about paying, including whether a payment arrangement is possible and what a full payoff costs today. Ask for it in writing.
- Check for a homestead exemption. A homestead exemption lowers the taxes on a home you live in. Ask the parish assessor whether you have it and whether you qualify. Other exemptions may exist for seniors, veterans and disabled owners, and the assessor can tell you.
- Talk to a lawyer, if you think the bill or the notice is wrong, or if the house is in a succession or a bankruptcy.
- Talk to a free HUD-approved housing counselor if you are behind on the mortgage too. Search the HUD counselor list or call Catholic Charities of North Louisiana in Shreveport.
- Sell the house. Back taxes are paid off at closing out of the sale, along with the mortgage, if there is one.
We buy houses. We are not a tax service or a foreclosure-relief service. We do not give tax or legal advice, we do not negotiate with the tax collector or your lender, and we charge homeowners no fee.
Selling when you owe back taxes
Selling is possible when you owe back property taxes, and the unpaid taxes are paid off at closing. A local title company finds every tax bill and lien on the property, gets the payoff amounts, and pays them out of the sale. Whatever is left after the taxes, the mortgage and the closing costs is yours.
We buy houses as they sit in Shreveport, Bossier City, Keithville and DeSoto Parish, in any condition. We look at the house and the numbers, including what is owed in taxes, and go over what we can do on paper. You pick the closing date. We may pay cash, or we may take over payments, and we'll tell you which fits.
If you owe more than the house is worth after taxes and the mortgage, see owing more than your house is worth. If the house came to you from a family member, see selling an inherited house, since back taxes often come with a succession that was never opened. For the other costs at closing, read our guide to Louisiana seller closing costs.
Why talk to The LN Co
We are a local company in Keithville. We buy houses in Shreveport, Bossier City and DeSoto Parish, and we sell homes on rent to own, so we keep a lot of the houses we buy. Charlie takes our seller calls. You won't get passed to an out-of-state call center.
Updated October 21, 2026