Buying Tax Foreclosure Property on the Courthouse Steps
Pursuant to the Land Tax Collection Law
Sections 141.210 to 141.810 and Sections 141.980 to 141.1015, R.S.Mo.
Published by Jackson County, Missouri Collection Department May 2018
The selling of property on the courthouse steps is how city and county governments recover unpaid taxes and
assessments when less drastic means have failed.
The five main steps to purchase a property are as follows:
1. Pre-Register (Not less than Ten (10) days prior to the sale)
2. Check County, State, Federal, and City records for additional taxes owed, liens on the property, & dangerous
Conditions, etc.
3. View property from the street; confirm legal description
4. Bid at the Court Administrator’s auction
5. Await issuance of a recorded Court Administrator’s deed before entering the property
Here’s what you need to know to be an informed buyer:
What is for Sale and When is the Sale
Jackson County holds two delinquent tax sales a year which are conducted by the Jackson County Circuit Court
Administrator. One sale is held at the Jackson County Courthouse located at 415 E. 12th Street in Kansas
City, MO; and the other at the Eastern Jackson County Courthouse located at 308 W. Kansas in Independence,
MO. In general, properties West of I-435 are auctioned at the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City and properties
East of I-435 are auctioned at the Eastern Jackson County Courthouse in Independence.
The auctions traditionally begin on a Monday in August at 10:00 a.m., but the dates and month can vary. This year a
notice of the sale and a description of the properties to be offered are published as an insert in The Daily Record, a local
newspaper, for four Fridays prior to each sale. A conspicuous sign is also posted on each property scheduled to be
offered at the sale. The sign contains the legal description of the property, the date, time and the location of the sale. A
photograph of all properties remaining for sale, improved and vacant, can be found online at www.jacksongov.org.
As a result of these advertisements, many owners pay their delinquent taxes before the sale, some at the very last
minute, and those properties are removed from the auction lists. Most sale properties are vacant lots, although a few
properties with buildings may be available.
How to Prepare for the Sale
To bid, you must pre-register at least 10 days prior to the sale.
If you are interested in a property, you should first verify that you’re buying the parcel you actually intended to purchase.
It is easy to make a mistake, particularly with vacant lots. If you buy the wrong property, you will not be allowed to
back out of the sale. All properties are offered for sale by legal description only and not by the situs (street address).
To verify what you are intending to purchase, print a map of the property from the Jackson County website. The map will
show the exact geographic location of the parcel and its relationship to other properties. Then go view the property from
the street and compare its location to the map. You should not go on or in the property.
Also verify what additional taxes are owed against the property by checking the Jackson County web site. In addition to
the purchase price, you will be responsible for any taxes and assessments that are not included in the judgment.
The purchaser must pay any additional taxes outside the judgment taxes for the year in which the suit was filed. (At least
two years, including interest and penalties will more than likely be due.) In instances where the foreclosure sale was
delayed, there may be additional foreclosures, judgments, or suits against the property.
Please note that there may be other taxes owed to a city or other governmental unit which have not been made a
part of the County’s records or other legal proceedings, such as mechanic’s liens, which may affect the property. These
will likely still be owed by the purchaser.