--- title: "Sell a House with Code Violations Fast | Virginia & Maryland | Miguel Shaban" description: "Selling a house with code violations, HOA liens, unpaid taxes, or judgment liens in Virginia or Maryland? I buy as-is for cash. Issues resolved at closing. Miguel Shaban." url: "https://miguelshaban.com/code-violations.html" last_updated: 2026-05-06 --- # Code Violations, Liens, or HOA Issues? *I Can Still Buy It.* **Code Violations & Liens** Code citations, unpaid HOA dues, judgment liens, back taxes, these don't have to stop your sale. I buy houses with these issues throughout Virginia and Maryland. --- A code violation notice from the county, an HOA lien for unpaid dues, a judgment from a creditor, or back taxes owed to the state or IRS-any of these can make a seller feel like they're stuck. Conventional buyers walk when they see these issues in the disclosure, lenders refuse to approve financing when the title shows encumbrances, and agents may advise you to resolve everything before even listing. That advice is expensive and sometimes impossible. I buy houses with code violations and liens. The mechanism is straightforward: these issues get resolved at closing, paid from the sale proceeds. The lien holders, whether it's the county, an HOA, the IRS, or a judgment creditor, get paid what they're owed. Whatever remains after the lien payoffs and any mortgage balance goes to you. The problems don't disappear, they get resolved, and you walk away with a clean break. ## What Types of Issues I Handle County code violations: exterior deterioration, overgrown vegetation, illegal structure, unpermitted addition. HOA delinquencies: years of missed dues, fines, and attorney fees. Judgment liens: from creditors, contractors, or civil court judgments recorded against the property. IRS federal tax liens: recorded against you personally and attached to any real property you own. State tax liens from Virginia or Maryland. Back property taxes owed to the county. Each of these has a specific resolution process, and my title attorney knows how to work through all of them. The key is this: I have cash and I can move fast. Cash buyers aren't subject to lender requirements that block financed sales when there are encumbrances on the title. As long as the numbers work, meaning the liens plus my offer don't exceed the property's value, we can close. And in situations where they do exceed the value, there may still be options worth discussing. You don't need to resolve anything before reaching out to me. That's the whole point. Tell me the address, tell me what you know about the issues, and I'll give you a straight answer about whether I can buy it and what I can pay. The conversation is free and completely confidential. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions **Can you really buy a house with an IRS lien?** Yes, in most cases. Federal tax liens are attached to the property and get paid at closing from the proceeds. The IRS gets their money, you get what's left, and the title transfers clean. My title attorney handles the lien payoff process. As long as the numbers work, we can close. **My house has years of unpaid HOA dues and fines. Is that a problem?** HOA delinquencies are one of the most common issues I handle in communities throughout NoVA, Prince William County, and Maryland's planned communities. The HOA gets paid at closing from the proceeds. You don't have to write a check before selling, it comes out of the sale. **What if the code violations are for unpermitted work?** Unpermitted additions, renovations done without permits, or work that was inspected and flagged, these complicate a financed sale significantly. For a cash buyer like me, they're manageable. I'll factor the cost of addressing the unpermitted work into my offer and handle it after closing. **How do you handle properties with multiple liens?** My title attorney prepares a full title search that identifies every lien and encumbrance, prioritizes them correctly, and calculates what the payoff will be at closing. As long as the math works, liens plus my offer don't exceed the property's value, we proceed. If they do exceed value, we discuss options. --- ## Service Areas - [Northern Virginia](northern-virginia.html) (Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Loudoun, Prince William) - [Richmond Metro](richmond-va.html) - [Hampton Roads](hampton-roads-va.html) - [Roanoke](roanoke-va.html) - [Lynchburg](lynchburg-va.html) - [Maryland](maryland.html) (Montgomery, PG, Howard, Anne Arundel, Frederick, Baltimore, Charles, Carroll, Harford) ## Situations I Buy In - [Foreclosure](foreclosure.html) · [Behind on Payments](behind-on-payments.html) · [Bankruptcy](bankruptcy.html) - [Inherited Property](inherited-property.html) · [Probate Sale](probate-sale.html) · [Divorce](divorce.html) - [Tired Landlord](tired-landlord.html) · [Problem Tenants](problem-tenants.html) · [Vacant House](vacant-house.html) - [Job Relocation](job-relocation.html) · [Downsizing](downsizing.html) · [Expired Listing](expired-listing.html) - [Major Repairs](major-repairs.html) · [Fire/Water Damage](fire-water-damage.html) · [Mold/Asbestos](mold-asbestos.html) - [Code Violations](code-violations.html) · [Hoarder House](hoarder-house.html) --- *Written by Miguel Shaban, Real Estate Investor at Nobu Holdings LLC. Updated 2026-05-06.* *Contact: [Instagram](https://instagram.com/miguelshabanflips) · [Nobu Instagram](https://instagram.com/nobuholdings) · [miguelshaban.com](https://miguelshaban.com/)*