The deed is still in my late parent's name. Who pays the property taxes?

The short answer

The heirs who inherited the house, even though the bill still has the parent's name on it. The county sends it to the owner on record at the old address, so often nobody sees it. If nobody pays, the house goes on the county's tax sale list, which is how many inherited houses end up there.

Who is responsible

The county doesn't change the name on the record when someone dies. The house usually passed to the heirs at the death, so it's their house and their tax bill, even before an estate is opened or a deed is recorded. Anyone can pay the bill, at the county treasurer's office or online.

Paying doesn't make you the owner

An heir who pays the taxes doesn't get a bigger share of the house for it, and a non-heir who pays doesn't get any. If one heir carries the taxes, keep receipts: when the house is sold, the heirs can agree to pay that person back first, and a court can take it into account if they can't agree.

Check for back taxes

Look the address up on the county treasurer's site, or call. Check whether the homestead deduction is still on the house, because the county can remove it after the owner dies and the bill can go up. If the house is already on the tax sale list, the county auditor has the sale date.

If it already went to a tax sale

It usually isn't too late. See my parent's house sold at a tax sale and our tax page.