Tax Liens and Code Violations Don't Make Your House Unsellable.
Tax Liens & Code Violations

If you own a property with back taxes or code violations in Pennsylvania, you know the feeling: every month, the balance grows. Property tax penalties in PA accrue at 10% per year plus interest. Municipal code violation fines — especially in cities like Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Allentown, and Hazleton — can reach $100–$500 per day. Water and sewer liens accumulate automatically. And the longer you wait, the closer you get to a tax sale that could take the property entirely.

Code enforcement has intensified across Eastern PA in recent years. Scranton's L&I department has expanded its inspection program. Wilkes-Barre aggressively enforces its property maintenance code. Allentown requires a mandatory 5-day pre-sale inspection. Hazleton requires occupancy permits before tenants can move in. Bethlehem enforces the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC/Article 1733) with escalating daily fines. For property owners who can't afford the required repairs, these violations feel like a death spiral — you can't afford to fix the property, you can't sell it through traditional channels because of the violations, and every day you hold it costs more.

Most traditional buyers — and their lenders — won't touch a property with open code violations or significant tax liens. The title can't clear with outstanding liens, and buyers don't want the liability of inheriting violations. This leaves you stuck: you need to sell to resolve the financial burden, but the financial burden prevents you from selling traditionally.

ClearEdge breaks that cycle. We purchase properties with tax liens, code violations, and municipal debt regularly throughout Eastern PA. Here's how it works: tax liens and municipal debts are paid from the sale proceeds at closing through the title company — you don't pay anything upfront. Code violations transfer to us as the new owner, and we handle the remediation after closing. You walk away with a clear title, no outstanding obligations, and cash in hand.