When the tax is due
Property taxes are due November 1. You can pay half before January 1 and the rest before April 1. If less than half is paid by January 1, the whole bill is delinquent on that date (Section 2913).
Unpaid property taxes on Oklahoma land
Start with the county treasurer. They hold the tax record and they're the ones who can tell you what's owed and what your options are.
Both links go to the county's own sites. This page isn't from the county.
This is general information, not legal advice. We're builders, not lawyers. For your own situation, talk to the county treasurer or an Oklahoma attorney.
How it works in Oklahoma
From the tax bill to the resale.
All of this comes from Oklahoma's Ad Valorem Tax Code, Title 68.
What delinquent means
Unpaid tax earns interest of 1.5% a month. The interest stops growing once it equals the tax itself (Section 2913). The tax is also a lien on the land (Section 3101), so a buyer can't get clear title until it's paid.
The notice
The treasurer publishes a list of delinquent taxes in the newspaper for two weeks sometime between April and the end of September, and mails a notice to the owner of record (Section 3106). If your mail goes to an old address, the notice may not reach you. Keep your address current with the county.
The tax resale
When taxes have gone unpaid for three years or more, the treasurer advertises the land and offers it at the tax resale (Section 3105). The resale is held each year on the second Monday of June, or that week if it's held online (Section 3125). The notice runs in the paper for four weeks before it (Section 3127).
If no one buys a parcel at the resale, it goes to the county. The county can sell it later (Sections 3129 and 3135).
Redemption
The owner, or anyone with an interest in the land, can redeem it any time before the resale auction starts. That means paying the treasurer the tax that was delinquent, plus interest and costs (Section 3113). Ask the treasurer for the exact amount.
Your options
Most people just pay it. That's often the right call.
Pay it
Look up the parcel on the county tax rolls to see what's owed, then pay the treasurer. If you're keeping the land, this is the simplest path.
Ask about a payment arrangement
The Creek County Treasurer's website doesn't say whether it offers one. Call the office and ask.
Sell the land
If you weren't planning to keep it, selling is one choice. Because the tax is a lien, it has to be paid off for the buyer to get clear title. That usually happens at closing; the title company can confirm how. You can list with an agent or talk to a buyer like us. Either way, get the payoff from the treasurer first so you know the real number.
Inherited the land and the taxes with it? See inherited land in Oklahoma. More on selling land to us.
Tell us about your land
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Connor Ellard is a licensed Oklahoma real estate agent and a member of the entity that owns the properties offered on this site. Properties on this site are offered by their owner, JC Property Ventures, LLC.