I. Parcels are offered on a 'where is' and 'as is' basis!
It is important to remember that Pierce County makes no representation of warranty, expressed or implied, as to the physical condition of any property. It is the buyer's responsibility to thoroughly research the property prior to purchasing.
II. Research the property prior to purchasing!
Physical Inspection of Property - Do a site visit prior to purchasing the property. Look at exactly what is being offered for sale. Is there access to the parcel? Are the boundary lines identifiable? Is the parcel being used in some way by neighbors?
Zoning and Land Use Issues - What about building feasibility, zoning, and permitted land use? Are there any road projects that will impact this property in the immediate future? Most of these questions can be answered by city and county departments dealing with engineering, planning, zoning and codes. In Pierce County the departments would be Planning and Land Services and Public Works.
Title Insurance - Are you able to get title insurance on the parcel you are interested in? Most title companies will not provide title insurance for up to ten years after the date of sale. Policies vary with each title company. If you are planning to build, title insurance may be important to you.
Assessments - Some parcels may have local improvements, special assessments or have community association dues for which payment will be due. Most special assessments are collected by the Assessor Treasurer. Community Association dues are typically collected by the association.
Easements or Restrictive Covenants - Easements and restrictive covenants are survived by tax foreclosures. Most easements are listed on the title searches and will be on record at the County Auditor Department. The Auditor's office has a searchable Recorded Documents page.
These are some of the things to think about prior to purchasing a tax title property. Since all sales are final and tax title property is purchased 'where is' and 'as is' , be sure of what you are purchasing.
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