Is Being Served Over Property Taxes a Criminal Matter?

Note: BCP Real Estate is not a law firm and its employees/owners are not acting as your attorneys. The information contained on this website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.

When someone shows up and hands you legal papers, your mind can jump straight to the worst place. So let’s answer this plainly: no, being served over delinquent property taxes is not a criminal matter. You are not being charged with a crime, and no one is coming to arrest you. It’s a civil case, which is a very different thing.

A delinquent property tax suit is the government’s way of collecting unpaid taxes that are tied to a piece of property. It’s aimed at the property and the debt attached to it, not at punishing you personally. Being served simply means you’re being formally notified that the case exists, because you’ve been named as an owner, usually an heir of the person who owned the property. The in-person delivery feels intimidating, but it’s a routine, required step in how legal notice is given, not a sign that you’re in trouble.

Understanding this takes a lot of the fear out of the envelope. There is a deadline to be aware of, so it’s worth not ignoring the papers, but the situation is civil and very manageable. If you’d rather not deal with the property at all, you can resolve your part of it by selling the share that passed to you, which removes your name from the lawsuit, no courtroom drama and nothing criminal about it.

A couple of quick questions:

Could I be arrested or charged over this? No. It’s a civil matter about collecting taxes tied to a property, not a criminal charge. No arrest or criminal record is involved.

Why did they serve me in person if it’s not serious? In-person service is just the standard way legal notice is delivered so the court knows you were informed. It feels dramatic but is routine, even for ordinary civil cases.

If you’re looking to remove yourself from a lawsuit and get paid for your interest, no cost to you, call or text us at (469) 708-8003 for an offer today.