Get An Offer Today, Sell In A Matter Of Days
Owe the city money on your Philadelphia house? You can still sell.
A delinquent water bill, a tax lien, or a stack of city violations can make selling feel impossible — but it isn’t. Liens are routine in Philadelphia, the title company deals with them on nearly every sale, and in most cases you never write a check out of pocket to clear them. At Liberty Pathway Homes we buy houses across Philadelphia exactly as they sit, debts and all. We pay cash, cover the closing costs, charge zero fees or commissions, and the liens get paid directly from the sale proceeds. Want to skip ahead? Get your free cash offer today or call us at (215) 515-7799.
How municipal liens work in Philadelphia
The single most important thing to understand: in Philadelphia a municipal lien is attached to the property, not the person. If a past owner or a tenant ran up the bill, the lien still rides with the house — and it has to be cleared before a clean title can transfer to a buyer. The most common liens we see on Philly homes are:
- Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) water & sewer liens. An unpaid water bill that goes long enough turns into a lien against the property. The city even lets anyone look these up at water-lien.phila.gov.
- Delinquent real estate taxes. Unpaid property taxes become a first-priority lien and, if ignored long enough, can put the home into a tax (sheriff) sale.
- Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) liens. Like water, an unpaid gas account can become a lien recorded against the property.
- L&I violations and city-work liens. Unpaid Licenses & Inspections fines, or charges for city “clean and seal” or demolition work, can also attach to the house.
None of these stop a sale — they just have to be accounted for. When you sell to us, our title company runs a full lien and judgment search up front so there are no surprises on closing day.
You usually don’t pay the lien out of pocket
This is where most worried sellers are relieved. The lien doesn’t come due before settlement — it gets paid at settlement, out of the proceeds of the sale. Here’s how it works on a Philadelphia deal: the title company requests an official payoff for each lien. For water, that means submitting the city’s water settlement (payoff) request form to the Department of Revenue (email wateramountdue@phila.gov), ideally at least 30 days before settlement, since the payoff letter states the exact balance including interest and penalties. The same is done for taxes, PGW, and any L&I charges. At the closing table those amounts are subtracted from the sale price and sent straight to the city. You don’t chase agencies, you don’t front the money, and you walk away with whatever is left over.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice — your title company or a Pennsylvania real estate attorney can confirm the exact figures and process for your property.
The clock matters — especially with back taxes
If your lien is an unpaid water or gas bill, time pressure is usually mild. Back property taxes are different, because the city can eventually move a tax-delinquent property toward a sheriff’s sale. You generally have options before that point — paying in full, or entering a payment agreement with the city (often a down payment plus installments) — and even after a sale Pennsylvania law gives owner-occupants a redemption window. But the cleanest outcome is almost always to sell before the city forces the issue, while you still control the timeline and keep your equity. If you’re getting “warning of risk of tax foreclosure” notices, that’s the moment to get an offer in hand. A fast cash sale can pay off the taxes and put the remaining proceeds in your pocket instead of losing the home at auction.
Situations we help Philadelphia owners with
- You inherited a house and only afterward discovered years of unpaid water bills or taxes attached to it.
- You’re a tired landlord stuck with a tenant-run-up PWD or PGW lien you never created.
- You’re behind on property taxes and starting to get foreclosure-risk notices from the city.
- You have open L&I violations or a clean-and-seal charge you can’t afford to cure.
- The total debt is creeping toward — or past — what the house is worth, and you just want out from under it.
Three simple steps
- Tell us about the house. Call (215) 515-7799 or request your cash offer online — you don’t need exact lien figures, a rough idea of what’s owed is plenty.
- Get a fair, no-obligation offer. We factor the liens into a clear cash number, usually within 24 hours, and our title company pulls the official payoffs.
- Close on your timeline. The liens are paid from proceeds at closing, you pick the date — often 7 to 14 days — and you keep whatever equity is left. No repairs, no fees, no commissions.
We buy across Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs in any condition and any situation. If your house also needs work, see how we buy houses that need major repairs; if you’ve got difficult occupants too, read how we help owners sell a house with problem tenants or squatters; or learn more about how we buy Philadelphia houses fast for cash.
Ready for a fair cash offer on your Philadelphia house?
Don’t let a water bill or a city lien keep you stuck. Get your free, no-obligation cash offer today or call (215) 515-7799 — we clear the liens at closing, and there are no fees, no commissions, and no repairs. You pick the date.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell my Philadelphia house if it has a lien or unpaid water bill?
Yes. Liens are extremely common here and rarely stop a sale. The lien simply has to be paid before clean title transfers, which normally happens right at closing out of the sale proceeds — so you can sell even if you can’t pay the balance today.
Do I have to pay off the water bill or lien before closing?
No. The title company orders an official payoff for each lien and subtracts those amounts from your sale price at the closing table, then sends the money to the city. You don’t have to front the cash or chase the agencies yourself.
What if I owe more in liens and back taxes than the house is worth?
It still may be solvable. We can sometimes structure an offer that covers the debts, and in cases where the total exceeds the value we’ll talk through the realistic options honestly. Either way, there’s no charge and no obligation to find out where you stand.
I’m behind on property taxes and worried about a sheriff’s sale. Can you help in time?
Often yes — a cash sale moves fast because there’s no bank, appraisal, or repairs. Selling before the city completes a tax sale lets you pay off the taxes and keep any leftover equity instead of losing it at auction. Call us as soon as you get foreclosure-risk notices. (General information, not legal advice.)
The lien was run up by a previous owner or tenant — am I really responsible?
In Philadelphia, municipal liens attach to the property, not the individual, so they do have to be cleared to sell — even if you didn’t create the debt. The good news is we handle that as part of the closing, so it doesn’t come out of your pocket up front.