- Family-owned in Beloit, WI
- Open daily, 9 AM to 9 PM
- BBB Accredited Business
The City of Milwaukee forecloses on tax-delinquent property itself, separately from Milwaukee County. If you owe City taxes, you may have more options than you think, and selling before the City acts can protect your equity. This page is written for owners, not investors. General information, not legal advice.
No obligation. A member of our local team will reach out to talk it through.
Rather talk it through? Call (608) 523-9807
The City sends a pre-foreclosure letter roughly two months before filing, files an in rem petition under Wis. Stat. s. 75.521, allows an 8-week redemption period, and accepts payment up to the day before the judgment hearing; title then passes to the City.
If you can catch up over time, call the City Treasurer’s office early and ask what payment arrangements are available for your property. The earlier you call, the more options there usually are. Once the in rem action has been published, the focus shifts to paying the eligible balance within the redemption period.
A sale that closes before the hearing can pay the taxes out of the proceeds.
This is the part that hurts most. If the city takes the house through tax foreclosure, you lose ownership, and any equity above the taxes owed is no longer simply yours to sell. After the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Tyler v. Hennepin County, a government can’t just keep a former owner’s surplus equity, but getting it back after the fact can involve claims, deadlines and waiting.
Selling before the city acts keeps that equity in your hands. For questions about your rights in a tax foreclosure, talk with a Wisconsin attorney.
Family-owned and based in Beloit. Open daily, 9 AM to 9 PM.
Call (608) 523-9807 or fill out the short form. We will ask about the property, its condition and your timeline.
We usually present a no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours, based on the location, condition and recent nearby sales.
Close at a local title company in as little as 7 days, or on the date that works for you. We pay the closing costs.
We’ve put together the questions sellers ask us most. If yours isn’t listed, call us at (608) 523-9807 and we’ll answer it.
Payment is accepted up to a deadline.
The redemption period is eight weeks from when the city publishes notice of the action. After that, the defenses are very limited.
No. The City Treasurer runs its own in rem process for property inside the city.
Yes, as long as the sale closes before the city takes title. The back taxes are paid at closing.
Recovering surplus equity after a tax foreclosure can be possible but involves claims and deadlines. Ask a Wisconsin attorney.
Call SWP Home Buyers at (608) 523-9807 or tell us about your house online.
