Tax Deeds for land

[Marc Dufour]

I recently bought a land at a tax deed auction in California. I am wondering how long I have to wait to sell.

- Do I need to quiet the title after the deed is recorded or can I sell it to an "all cash" buyer?

- If I decide to go the route of the quiet title procedure, how long does it take? How many approximately?

- Any other alternatives to the quiet title path, in order to get title insurance and sell?

[Jamal Bey]

Hi Marc,

In order to get Marketable title on a Tax Deed in California you will either need to preform a quiet title action or "certify" the title. Title companies in CA will not insure a Tax Deed without this. Unless your buyer is willing to purchase as is, without insurance, you will need to do this.

Quiet title can last 90 days to 6 months on average, but can also become drawn out if the homeowner cant be found or files answers,motions, etc. The costs typically will range from $1500-$3500 depending on your atty and the amount of work preformed.

The alternative is the certify your title. This may not compare in costs because from my experience the fees are a sliding scale based on property value. For instance, just recently I paid 2,400 to certify a lot worth about 40k. I used tax title services and it took a total of about 45 days to complete. Much quicker than the average QT.

Late response, but hope it helps.