# How do I find out if there's back taxes or an unrecorded lien on a piece of land?

Source: https://www.landxchange.com/community/due-diligence/how-do-i-find-out-if-theres-back-taxes-or-an-unrecorded-lien-on-a-piece-of-land
Category: Due Diligence
Asked: 2026-07-24 | Replies: 1
License: CC BY 4.0 (quote with attribution and a link back)

This is a standard due diligence question, usually asked by a buyer who wants to know what could still surface after a deal looks otherwise clean.

## Answer by LandXchange Team

For outstanding property tax status specifically, the county tax assessor or treasurer's office is the place to check. This will show whether taxes are current or whether there is a balance owed.

For liens, judgments, and other encumbrances tied to the property more broadly, a title search through the closing attorney is what actually surfaces this information comprehensively. This is one of the core reasons a title search matters: it is not just confirming who owns the property, it is uncovering financial claims against it that might not be obvious from the county's public-facing tax or GIS sites alone.

If back taxes or a lien do turn up, they typically need to be paid off at or before closing, usually out of the seller's proceeds from the sale rather than becoming the buyer's responsibility going forward. This is one reason a thorough title search before closing matters so much: it protects the buyer from unknowingly inheriting a financial obligation attached to the property.

As a buyer, do not rely solely on a seller's word that everything is paid up. Verifying independently through the assessor's office and letting the closing attorney's title search do its job is the reliable way to confirm this before money changes hands.