Kalamazoo County gives homeowners a little over two years after unpaid property taxes are handed to the county before it forecloses. That’s more time than most people expect, but fees and interest pile up month after month. Here is the county’s own timeline, and the ways to stop it.
General information only, not legal advice. Dates and fees can change, so check the notices you receive and confirm with the Kalamazoo County Treasurer’s office.
The Kalamazoo County tax foreclosure timeline
This is how the Kalamazoo County Treasurer lays it out, using 2025 taxes as the example:
2025: the tax bills
- Your city, township or village sends the summer bill in July and the winter bill in December.
- Winter bills are due February 14, 2026 to avoid local penalties.
- February 28, 2026 is the last day to pay your local treasurer.
2026: the taxes become delinquent
- On March 1, whatever is unpaid goes to the Kalamazoo County Treasurer, with a 4% administration fee, 1% interest per month and service fees.
- On October 1, a $15 notice charge is added.
2027: the house is forfeited
- On March 1, the property is forfeited. Another 0.5% interest per month is added, plus 6% retroactive interest on the delinquent balance and a $175 title search fee.
- $60 in recording fees follows on April 1, a $50 site-visit fee on August 1, and a $50 fee on December 1 for publishing the forfeiture list in the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Forfeiture is not foreclosure. You still own the house, and you can still pay.
2028: foreclosure
- If the taxes have gone unpaid for 25 months, the property is foreclosed and ownership passes to the County Treasurer on April 1, according to the Treasurer’s FAQ.
- Under Michigan’s statewide process, the right to pay off the taxes and keep the house ends March 31.
- Once the Treasurer owns the property, you can’t get it back.
Ways to stop a Kalamazoo County tax foreclosure
Pay what you can now
The Treasurer’s office accepts partial payments, and every payment cuts the interest that’s added each month. The office is in the County Administration Building, 201 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49007, and takes card payments by phone at 269-384-8124.
Ask the Foreclosure Prevention team for a payment plan
The Treasurer can offer an extension agreement, at its discretion, after you meet with the Foreclosure Prevention team. As a general rule, the county expects a plan to pay off two tax years every calendar year, and condemned or dangerous properties don’t qualify.
Check for exemptions
The same team can help you see whether you qualify for the principal residence exemption, the poverty exemption or the disabled veterans exemption. These lower future bills; they don’t erase taxes already owed.
Sell before the deadline
If keeping the house isn’t realistic, a sale before March 31 of the foreclosure year protects your equity. The title company pays the delinquent taxes, interest and fees out of the sale at closing, and the rest goes to you. A traditional listing can take months, so when the deadline is close, a direct cash sale may be the only option that closes in time.
Already foreclosed? Claim any leftover money
If the county has already taken the house and later sells it for more than what was owed, the former owner may be able to claim the extra. File Form 5743 with the Treasurer by July 1 of the foreclosure year, and sign it in front of a notary; the county says unnotarized forms aren’t valid. Auction prices are often below market value, so selling before the deadline usually leaves you with more.
How Grayline Real Estate helps Kalamazoo homeowners behind on taxes
We buy houses across Kalamazoo County with back taxes, forfeiture notices and foreclosure judgments. You’ll have a written cash offer within 24 hours, and we can close in as little as 10 days, with the taxes paid off at closing through the title company. There are no commissions, and we cover the closing costs. See our Stop Foreclosure page for more.
Ernesto Rodriguez is a licensed Michigan real estate broker, and we’re glad to walk through every option with you, including the ones that let you keep the house. Call 616-816-5111 or request your cash offer.