When someone tells me their house is on a county tax sale list, the first thing I suggest isn’t selling. It’s calling the State Tax Sale Ombudsman. The office is run by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), it’s free, and it exists specifically to help homeowners understand the tax sale system and find ways to keep the problem from getting worse.
I’m Evan Weissman, and I buy houses in Maryland. This is a plain summary of what the office describes on its own site, plus a few dates every homeowner with overdue taxes should know.
How to contact the office
According to SDAT’s Tax Sale Help Center page, you can reach the Office of the State Tax Sale Ombudsman by:
- Phone: (410) 767-4994 (office) or (833) 732-8411 (toll free).
- Mail: 700 E. Pratt St., Suite 2700, Baltimore, MD 21202-6377.
- In person by appointment only at 123 Market Place, Baltimore, MD 21202, per the office’s current announcement.
The page also has links to county finance offices, local counseling services, legal services, and the annual Maryland tax sale reports.
What the ombudsman can help with
The office’s stated goal is to help Maryland homeowners navigate the tax sale system. In practice that means:
- Explaining where you are in the process and what comes next.
- Pointing you to your county’s collector of taxes, which actually holds your tax account.
- Connecting you with counseling and legal services.
- Telling you about the Homeowner Protection Program.
The ombudsman doesn’t hold your tax account and doesn’t set your county’s rules. Your county treasury or finance office still decides payoff amounts, payment plans, and which properties go into its sale.
The Homeowner Protection Program
SDAT describes the Homeowner Protection Program (HPP) as assistance for limited income, elderly, and disabled homeowners going through the tax sale process, through short-term loans and individualized assistance. If you fall into one of those groups and you’re facing a tax sale, ask the ombudsman’s office about HPP early. Eligibility rules and funding are set by the program, so get the details directly from SDAT.
Dates that matter on your tax bill
SDAT’s page lays out the basic calendar:
- Property taxes are due without interest as of July 1.
- They become overdue on October 1, and interest starts accruing after that.
- Owners of a principal residence can pay in two installments: the first due by September 30 and the second, with a service charge, by December 31.
If you didn’t get a bill in July, SDAT says to contact your county’s collector of taxes, usually the treasury or finance office. If your taxes are supposed to be paid from your mortgage escrow and you got a bill anyway, contact your mortgage company and check your escrow statement.
The warning signs before a sale
SDAT describes the notice process this way:
- At least 30 days before the property is first advertised, the collector mails a notice to the owner on the tax rolls, listing the taxes due and that the property must be sold if they aren’t paid.
- The collector then publishes the list in a local newspaper once a week for four successive weeks, with the sale date, time, and place.
If you get that mailed notice, it’s the moment to call both your county and the ombudsman. Each county’s sale date is on SDAT’s 2026 tax sale schedule.
What happens after a tax sale
SDAT stresses that a tax sale sells the debt, not the house. You still own it and can stay in it during the redemption period. But costs climb with time:
- The buyer receives a certificate of sale within about six months.
- Expenses the buyer incurs in the first four months after the sale aren’t reimbursable, but after four months they can be added to the redemption amount.
- The buyer can file in circuit court to foreclose your right of redemption six months after the sale, or nine months for an owner-occupied home, once notice rules are met.
- If the buyer doesn’t file within two years, the certificate becomes void.
You can redeem any time until a court finally forecloses the right of redemption. My article on redeeming after a Maryland tax sale covers how the payoff is calculated.
Other places to turn
- Your county’s treasury or finance office for payoff figures and payment plans.
- SDAT’s tax sale resources page.
- Maryland’s Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit through SDAT, which may lower future bills for eligible owner-occupants.
- In Baltimore City, the city’s prevention resources and clinics, described in my Baltimore City tax sale guide.
- If you’re also behind on your mortgage, a HUD-approved housing counselor or Maryland HOPE at 1-877-462-7555.
If keeping the house isn’t realistic
Sometimes the taxes are just one of several problems, especially with an inherited or vacant house. Selling before or after a tax sale lets the overdue taxes and redemption costs be paid at settlement. My options article on delinquent property taxes compares paying, redeeming, and selling.
Is the Maryland Tax Sale Ombudsman free?
Yes. It’s a state office within SDAT, and there’s no charge to call for help.
Can the ombudsman stop my county’s tax sale?
The ombudsman doesn’t control county tax sales. The office can explain your options, connect you to programs and services, and point you to your county’s collector, which handles your account.
What is the Homeowner Protection Program?
It’s an SDAT program that assists limited income, elderly, and disabled homeowners in the tax sale process through short-term loans and individualized help. Contact the ombudsman’s office for eligibility.
When are Maryland property taxes overdue?
Taxes are due July 1 and overdue October 1, with interest after that. Principal residence owners can pay in two installments due September 30 and December 31.
Talk through your situation
If you’ve already talked with the ombudsman and selling is one of the options you’re weighing, call or text me at (410) 498-7473. I’ll explain how the taxes would be handled at settlement.