The sale of property that results when a taxpayer reaches a certain point of delinquency in his or her property tax payments. When this happens, the property owner has a right of redemption period. During this period, he or she has the opportunity to pay off the delinquent taxes in full and reclaim the property.

There are a number of laws and requirements that must be followed in order for a tax sale to be valid. Adequate notice must be given to the taxpayer and the sale must also usually be open to the public, so that an adequate price is obtained for the property. In many cases, the amount received for the property must be at least equal to the total taxes that are owed.