What happens to an Arkansas house when the property taxes go unpaid?
If nobody pays, it can end up at a Commissioner of State Lands auction: land forfeited for unpaid property taxes is auctioned once a year, in its own county or a neighboring one. In Union County, real estate taxes left unpaid for two years are sent to the Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands for collection.
The county collector there says that if the taxes stay unpaid for two more years at the state level, the property goes up for public sale.
Anyone can redeem a parcel after it is certified to the state, up until 4 p.m. on the last business day before the sale date. Sales are final, and a parcel can't be redeemed on the sale date or after.
Paying off the back taxes doesn't change who owns the property; it only brings the taxes up to date.
A buyer at the auction gets a limited warranty deed, which passes along whatever interest the state has in the property. Parcels that don't sell at the auction go on the Post Auction Sales list after 30 days, where buyers can bid online.
Behind on the mortgage as well as the taxes on an empty Arkansas house? Here's the Arkansas foreclosure side of the picture.
How do Arkansas cities deal with vacant, unsafe or run-down houses?
Little Rock code enforcement officers enforce the city's rules on vacant, unsecured homes and on dilapidated buildings. When code enforcement declares a Little Rock house unsafe to live in, the case goes to the city's Board of Directors for condemnation approval.
They also look into Minimum Housing Code violations, such as owners letting a house or outbuilding fall into disrepair or leaving fire damage.
Once a house is condemned, the city's housing department hires contractors to demolish it and oversees the work.
In Hot Springs, Neighborhood Services handles substandard housing, vacant structures, overgrown lots and trash, and manages condemning and tearing down vacant, deteriorated buildings. Hot Springs inspectors check properties on their own and issue warnings or citations to owners who don't keep them up to city code.
What does the Little Rock Land Bank do with abandoned property?
It studies, acquires and passes on vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent and city lien property, aiming to reverse blight and raise home ownership.
The commission was created by a Little Rock ordinance passed in January 2008.
Where do you report an abandoned house in Arkansas?
In Little Rock, you can report these problems to a Neighborhood Resource Center or by calling 311.
Little Rock's 311 line is for non-emergency city services; emergencies go to 911.
Hot Springs takes service requests through its Neighborhood Services page.
You can also tell me where it is. I'll find out who owns it and reach out about buying it and fixing it up.