The Tax Sale Itself Is a County Process
Property taxes on a Mishawaka home are billed and collected by St. Joseph County, and delinquent parcels go to the county's tax sale on the same terms as anywhere else in the county. We have covered that timeline, redemption, and the exemptions that can reduce a bill on our South Bend tax lien page and in our St. Joseph County tax sale guide.
Read those for the county side. The first practical step is the same either way: call the St. Joseph County Treasurer and get your exact delinquent balance and where your parcel stands on the county calendar.
If a tax sale has already happened on your Mishawaka parcel, do not assume it is over — read the redemption section of the county guide and call quickly, because that deadline is fixed and a sale to us has to close before it.
It is also worth being clear about who does not handle this. The City of Mishawaka does not bill or collect your property taxes, and City Hall cannot set up a payment plan on them. The city's role in your finances is the utility, which is the subject of the next section.
The Second Public Creditor: Mishawaka's Sewer Utility
Here is the part specific to living inside Mishawaka. The city itself runs the wastewater utility, as part of Mishawaka Utilities, and Indiana law gives municipal sewer charges unusual priority.
Under Indiana Code 36-9-23-32, unpaid sewer fees can become a lien on the property, and that lien is superior to every other lien except tax liens. So if a Mishawaka owner is behind on both, the order at a closing is taxes first, then the recorded sewer lien, then the mortgage, then everything else, and only then the owner.
Two further points from the same statute. A sewer fee is not enforceable as a lien against a later owner unless it was recorded with the county recorder before the property changed hands — which is why title searches look for it. And for tenant-occupied property, the lien attaches only if the owner was notified within 20 days after the fees became 60 days delinquent.
| Order paid at closing | Who | Where to get the number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delinquent property taxes | St. Joseph County Treasurer |
| 2 | Recorded municipal sewer lien | Mishawaka Utilities, (574) 258-1630 |
| 3 | Mortgage and other liens | Your servicer, title search |
| 4 | Whatever is left | You |
Why Utility Balances Grow Quietly Here
Mishawaka's wastewater charges are based on water consumption rather than a separate meter, according to the city's FAQ, so they rise and fall with the water bill. Both are going up: water rates by nearly 6% a year for five years from July 2026, and wastewater by 3.75% a year for five years from 2026.
None of that is a reason to panic. It is a reason to check the utility balance at the same time as the tax balance, because a delinquent sewer charge that keeps compounding is the one owners most often forget sits ahead of their mortgage.
What to Try Before Selling
- Ask the Treasurer about payment options while the parcel is still early in the process.
- Check your deductions. Homestead and other deductions are handled by the county and are commonly missed after a change in ownership or occupancy; our South Bend page lists them.
- Call Mishawaka Utilities about the utility balance, and ask whether you qualify for the payment assistance program the city's water rate increase is funding.
- Ask Penn Township about utility help. The trustee, covering much of Mishawaka, offers temporary utility assistance, which can free cash for the tax bill. Call 574-256-6213.
- Get free legal advice from Indiana Legal Services if you qualify.
If Selling Is the Way Out
Delinquent taxes and utility liens do not stop a sale; the title company pays them from the proceeds, in order, and hands you the rest. You do not need to raise the money first.
The earlier you do it, the more there is left. Every month adds interest and penalties on the tax side and a growing balance on the utility side. If the house has been empty, look at our Mishawaka vacant house page too: the city lists acquiring and demolishing blighted property among its redevelopment activities, and a tax-delinquent empty house is the kind that drifts that way.
When you are ready, see our terms for sell my house fast in Mishawaka and get a written number within 24 hours.
Mishawaka Tax & Lien Resources
Check Your Mishawaka Balances
- Mishawaka Utilities — Business Officemishawaka.in.govUtility and wastewater balance, and hardship payment assistance: (574) 258-1630.
- Penn Township Trusteepenntownship-sjcin.orgTemporary utility assistance for eligible residents. 574-256-6213, by appointment.
- Indiana Code 36-9-23-32law.justia.comThe statute on municipal sewer fee liens, priority and notice.
- Indiana Legal Servicesindianalegalservices.orgFree help for income-qualifying homeowners with tax and lien problems.