Behind on Property Taxes in Edgewood? Your Options in Pierce County

Pierce County’s tax page, following RCW 84.56.020, says statements go out in February and that failure to receive one does not waive interest. If the tax due is $50 or less, the full amount is due by April 30. If it is over $50, the first half may be paid by April 30 and the balance by October 31. After those dates the unpaid amount is delinquent. For residential property with four or fewer units, Pierce County’s interest page says interest on taxes levied for 2023 and later is 9 percent a year, figured at 0.75 percent a month, and that those residential parcels are not charged the penalty that applies to other property. Other property is charged 12 percent a year, plus penalties the county describes as 3 percent on June 1 and 8 percent on December 1, capped at 11 percent. Your bill controls. KindKey will not calculate it.

Interest on a late first half is a different problem from a tax foreclosure. Many Edgewood owners on North Hill, or in the valley along the Puyallup River, are one installment behind and still years away from a treasurer’s sale. Call the Assessor-Treasurer with the ten-digit parcel number and ask for the amount. Do not guess from a neighbor’s bill on Meridian Avenue E or Jovita Boulevard. Lots on the hill and lots in the valley are not assessed alike, and KindKey does not set the assessment.

RCW 84.64.050 says that after three years from the date of delinquency, the county treasurer must issue certificates of delinquency for the taxes, interest, and costs, with a limited exception if the county legislative authority agrees to a shorter set of years. Pierce County’s foreclosure page describes the properties it proceeds on as those with tax of more than $100 cumulative that is three or more years delinquent. The treasurer files a certificate of delinquency with Pierce County Superior Court. That case is not a mortgage foreclosure under chapter 61.24 RCW, and it is not a City of Edgewood code letter. Read the caption on the paper.

The county publishes a sale date for the current foreclosure year. For 2026, Pierce County’s site says the sale is Monday, November 9, and that owners and others with a recorded interest may redeem until 4:30 p.m. the day before the sale, which the county lists as Friday, November 6, 2026. The county also says there is no right of redemption after the sale, with narrow exceptions for a minor or a person judged incompetent. Confirm those dates with the foreclosure department before you rely on them. A published auction date can be updated. KindKey cannot move it.

Pierce County tells seniors age 61 or older, and disabled homeowners, to call the Senior / Disabled Department at (253) 798-2169 about a property-tax deferral. The county says a home that qualifies may be removed from foreclosure. The same page says a household with income of $64,000 or less may qualify for a one-time waiver of interest and penalty on a primary residence, with supporting documents, through the foreclosure avoidance team at (253) 798-2728. KindKey does not decide eligibility and will not tell you that you qualify. Call the county.

If someone else is paying the tax on a parcel already in foreclosure, Pierce County says state law requires notarized proof of the relationship, on the county’s authorization form. The Assessor-Treasurer’s office says it does not have a notary. Bring the form already notarized. Paying the county is not the same as selling the house. A relative who pays the bill does not become the buyer unless a deed says so.

A completed sale can use proceeds to pay the taxes and the other liens the title company requires, if the price covers them. If it does not, the sale may not close unless the lienholders agree to different numbers. KindKey will not negotiate those agreements as your representative. You should see a settlement statement before you sign a deed. You do not have to catch the taxes up, or repair the house, before you ask for an offer. A North Hill roof and a valley drainage problem are priced as they are.

KindKey does not charge an agent commission or a separate assignment fee. Cash means the purchase is not waiting on a retail buyer’s mortgage. It does not erase the tax. If a mortgage foreclosure notice is posted at the same time, you have two clocks. Read the Edgewood foreclosure guide and talk with a Washington attorney about RCW 61.34 before you sign. KindKey does not interpret that law. If the house is also in a parent’s estate, the personal representative’s authority is a separate question, covered in the Edgewood probate guide. Requesting an offer does not pause the treasurer’s date. You can say no after you see the number.