Selling a House Behind on Property Taxes in Lafayette

The Lafayette Parish property tax timeline

Property taxes in Lafayette Parish are billed in the fall by the parish tax collector and are due by December 31 each year. Taxes that are not paid by that deadline become delinquent, and interest and costs begin to accrue on the unpaid balance.

Being delinquent is not the same as losing the property. It is the start of a process with defined stages, and there is a meaningful window between a missed payment and any loss of ownership. Knowing where you are on that timeline is what lets you make a calm decision instead of a rushed one.

Louisiana's 2026 shift from tax-sale title to a tax lien

Louisiana changed how delinquent property taxes are collected. Under the old system, the parish sold tax-sale title, and a tax-sale purchaser could eventually move toward taking ownership of the property. As of January 2026, the state moved to a tax-lien system.

Under the tax-lien system, the parish sells a lien against the property, not ownership of it. The homeowner keeps title to the Lafayette Parish house, subject to that lien for the unpaid taxes plus what the law allows to accrue. This is a real change in how the risk works: the owner is no longer handing over title at the tax sale, and the lien becomes a debt that has to be resolved against the property.

This page is general information about the Lafayette Parish tax process, not legal or tax advice. The Lafayette Parish tax collector and a Louisiana attorney can confirm the exact status and figures on your specific account.

The 3-year redemption window

Louisiana kept a redemption period under the new system. A 3-year redemption window remains, giving the owner time to resolve the delinquent taxes and clear the lien against the property. During that window, the owner still holds title to the Lafayette Parish house.

That redemption window is the room you have to work with. It means a homeowner behind on taxes is generally not out of options overnight, and it creates time to either catch up the taxes or sell the property and settle the lien in the process.

Selling during redemption with the lien paid at closing

You can sell a Lafayette Parish house during the redemption window. The delinquent taxes and the lien do not have to be paid off before the sale. Instead, they are handled at closing the same way a mortgage payoff is handled: the closing attorney orders the payoff figure, the lien is paid from the sale proceeds, and the property transfers with the tax debt settled.

For a homeowner who cannot catch up the taxes out of pocket, this is often the cleanest exit. The sale resolves the delinquency, clears the lien from the Lafayette Parish records, and puts any remaining proceeds in the seller's hands, without waiting to see how far the tax process runs.

Frequently asked questions