Right to redeem after a tax sale until foreclosure of redemption is final
D.C. Code § 47-1360
In plain words
After a D.C. tax sale, the owner or anyone with an interest may redeem the property at any time until a court’s foreclosure of the right of redemption is final. You pay the Office of Tax and Revenue the amount owed with interest and costs. The buyer can file suit only after several months.
Who is protected
Owners and interest holders of D.C. property sold at a tax sale.
When it applies
- Only in District of Columbia.
- Only if you are behind on property taxes.
What you can do
Get property-tax help
Ask the Office of Tax and Revenue for a redemption amount and pay it before the court’s final judgment.
Deadline: Before the foreclosure judgment becomes final
Open the toolGet ready for court
If you are sued to foreclose the right of redemption, respond and ask for time to redeem.
Open the tool
Honest limits
- Interest and the buyer’s allowed costs increase the amount over time.
- This is general education, not legal advice. Laws change and details depend on your papers and your court; check the current law or ask a lawyer or legal aid.
The law
- State lawRight of redemption
D.C. Code § 47-1360
What it says: An owner may redeem at any time until the foreclosure of the right of redemption is final.
Read the official texthttps://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/47-1360 - State lawPayments required to redeem
D.C. Code § 47-1361(a)
Exact part: (a)
What it says: Lists the amounts the person redeeming must pay.
Read the official texthttps://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/47-1361
Court cases
- Homeowner wonSame topicTyler v. Hennepin County
Tyler v. Hennepin County, 598 U.S. 631 (2023)
a government that sells a home for unpaid taxes and keeps the value beyond the tax debt takes property without just compensation
- Homeowner wonSame topicHall v. Meisner
Hall v. Meisner, 51 F.4th 185 (6th Cir. 2022)
a homeowner's equity in property taken for a smaller tax debt is protected property, and taking it without compensation states a federal takings claim
- Homeowner wonSame topicJones v. Flowers
Jones v. Flowers, 547 U.S. 220 (2006)
when mailed notice of a tax sale is returned undelivered, the government must take additional reasonable steps to notify the owner before selling the property
- Homeowner wonSame topicMennonite Board of Missions v. Adams
Mennonite Bd. of Missions v. Adams, 462 U.S. 791 (1983)
a person with a recorded interest in property is entitled to notice by mail or equally reliable means before a tax sale, and publication or posting alone is not enough
- Homeowner lostSame topicPung v. Isabella County
Pung v. Isabella County, No. 25-95, slip op. (U.S. June 23, 2026)
after a fairly conducted tax sale, the government owes the former owner the surplus from the sale price, not the property's fair market value
Related rights
Equity distribution for owner-occupied homes after a tax-sale foreclosure
D.C. Code § 47-1382.01(a)–(d)
If a D.C. tax-sale buyer wins a judgment foreclosing your right of redemption on a small home (5 units or fewer) that you, or an heir, lived in as a principal residence, the court appoints a trustee to sell the property and distribute the proceeds. This protects much of your equity instead of letting the buyer keep the whole home.
Read this rightThe right to real notice before the government takes or sells your home
U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1Due Process Clause
Before a state or county sells your property — for example at a tax sale, or through a court foreclosure — the Constitution requires notice that is reasonably likely to actually reach you. If the government knows your address, publishing a notice in the newspaper is not enough. If a mailed notice comes back unclaimed, the government must take extra reasonable steps to reach you, if it practicably can.
Read this rightThe government cannot keep your home equity beyond the tax debt
U.S. Const. amend. VTakings Clause
If your home is taken or sold to pay property taxes, the government may collect what you owe, but it may not keep the extra value. Keeping the surplus is a "taking" of your property without just compensation, which the Fifth Amendment forbids (Tyler v. Hennepin County, 2023). You may be able to claim the surplus, but you usually must follow your state's claim process and deadlines.
Read this rightFair handling of your escrow account
12 C.F.R. § 1024.17(c)(1)
If your servicer collects money for taxes and insurance (escrow), it must pay those bills on time as long as you are not more than 30 days behind. It must review the account every year and send you a statement. It cannot keep more than a small cushion (one-sixth of a year's payments), and it must refund a surplus of $50 or more within 30 days of the review. When you pay off the loan, it must return what is left within 20 business days.
Read this right