One year to redeem after a tax sale — and a repayment plan first
Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 32, § 5260
In plain words
Before a Vermont town can hold a tax sale, it must offer you a written, reasonable repayment plan. If the sale happens, you can redeem within one year by paying the sale price plus 1% interest per month; the collector must send a reminder 90 to 120 days before the year ends.
Who is protected
Owners, lienholders and mortgagees of Vermont land sold for taxes.
When it applies
- Only in Vermont.
- Only if you are behind on property taxes.
What you can do
Put the deadline on your calendar
Enter the date on your notice so Techoclaro can count the days and remind you.
Open the toolAccept or ask for the repayment plan
Respond to the collector within 30 days of the offer.
Deadline: Redeem within one year of the tax sale
Open the toolRead your state guide and find free help
Open the state page for the process, deadlines and legal-aid contacts in your state.
Open the tool
Honest limits
- This is general education, not legal advice. Laws change and details matter — check the current official text or talk to a legal aid lawyer or HUD-approved housing counselor.
The law
- State lawRedemption within one year
Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 32, § 5260
What it says: The owner may redeem within one year of the sale by paying the price plus 1% a month.
Read the official texthttps://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/32/133/05260 - State lawRepayment plan before tax sale
Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 32, § 5252
What it says: A town must offer a written reasonable repayment plan before a tax sale.
Read the official texthttps://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/32/133/05252
Court cases
- Homeowner wonCited for this rightJones 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 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 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
- Homeowner lostSame topicMartins v. BAC Home Loans Servicing, L.P.
Martins v. BAC Home Loans Servicing, L.P., 722 F.3d 249 (5th Cir. 2013)
a mortgage servicer acting for a properly assigned mortgagee may foreclose in Texas without possessing the original note, and an oral promise to modify a large loan is not enforceable
- Homeowner lostSame topicMilton v. U.S. Bank National Ass'n
Milton v. U.S. Bank Nat'l Ass'n, 508 F. App'x 326 (5th Cir. 2013) (per curiam) (unpublished)
an agreement to delay a Texas foreclosure falls within the statute of frauds and must be in writing to be enforced
Related rights
Homestead exemption of $125,000
Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 27, § 101
Vermont protects your homestead — the dwelling house, outbuildings and land used with them — up to $125,000 in value from attachment and execution.
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 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 rightAfter a discharge, creditors cannot collect the wiped-out debt from you
11 U.S.C. § 524(a)(2)
A bankruptcy discharge wipes out your personal liability for most debts in the case. After that, the law forbids creditors from suing, calling or otherwise trying to collect a discharged debt from you personally. A court can hold a creditor in contempt if there was no fair doubt that its conduct was barred.
Read this rightRenters get at least 90 days' notice after a foreclosure
12 U.S.C. § 5220 note(Pub. L. 111-22, div. A, § 702(a)–(b))
If you rent a home that goes through foreclosure, the new owner must give you a notice to move at least 90 days before you have to leave. If you have a real (bona fide) lease signed before the foreclosure notice, you can usually stay until the lease ends. The exception is when the new owner will live in the home; even then you still get the 90 days' notice.
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