Selling a house with a problem in Hillsborough County: the offices and rules that apply

Where does probate happen for a Hillsborough County house?

Probate is filed with the Hillsborough Clerk and heard by Thirteenth Judicial Circuit judges, mostly at the Edgecomb Courthouse in downtown Tampa, with east county judges in Plant City. Estates of $150,000 or less may use the shorter summary administration.

The circuit's division directory (updated October 1, 2026) puts two probate divisions at the Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs St., and its east county divisions in Plant City also take probate and trust cases. The Clerk's probate department serves walk-ins in downtown Tampa, Plant City and Brandon.

• Look up a case. Search probate cases by name in HOVER, the Clerk's online court records site. The Clerk also posts a daily file of new probate cases for the last 30 days.
• The original will. Whoever has it must deposit it with the Clerk within 10 days after learning of the death. Depositing it is free.
• The $150,000 line. The Clerk's page already shows the limit set in 2026 by Fla. Stat. 735.201. A death more than two years ago can also qualify, if the other requirements are met.
• The homestead exemption ends at death. The Property Appraiser asks heirs to report the death and send the death certificate plus probate papers such as an Order Determining Homestead. An exemption left in the late owner's name can lead to a lien for up to 10 years of back taxes, plus 50% penalties and 15% interest.
• Empty inherited houses. The Clerk's free Property Fraud Alert tells you by email or phone when a document is recorded under a name you pick, a guard against fake deeds.

Steps and time frames: selling a house in probate and the Florida probate timeline.

What happens in Hillsborough when property taxes or a mortgage go unpaid?

Unpaid taxes become a tax certificate sold at auction, and two years after they went delinquent the holder can start the tax deed process. Mortgage foreclosures end in an online sale the Clerk runs every weekday.

Property taxes. From the Tax Collector's delinquent tax page:

1. Bills are due November 1. Taxes still unpaid on April 1 are delinquent, and 3% interest plus advertising costs are added.
2. In May the delinquent list is advertised. The page says the certificate sale is held on the last Saturday of May and must happen on or before June 1.
3. A certificate earns its buyer up to 18% interest from June 1, and two years after the taxes became delinquent, the tax deed process can begin.
4. The Clerk then holds tax deed sales online on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. Redeeming (paying what is owed) takes a house off the list: the Clerk's tax deed page says redeemed properties are no longer for sale.

Mortgage foreclosure. The Clerk's foreclosure sales page says sales are held every weekday, Monday through Friday, at 10:00 a.m. online. The Clerk states that the right of redemption ends when the Certificate of Sale is issued, and the Certificate of Title issues after 10 full calendar days. The page suggests talking with a Florida-licensed attorney, and HUD-approved housing counselors give free help at 800-569-4287 or through HUD's online search.

How tax and other liens get paid when a house sells: selling with back taxes or liens.

Who handles code cases and code liens: the county, Tampa, Temple Terrace or Plant City?

The county's code office covers only unincorporated Hillsborough; Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City each run their own. The county and Tampa both settle fines for less once a property is fixed, and both let a buyer ask.

Tampa's settlement amounts. After an inspector confirms the violation is fixed, the city's Legal Department can settle the daily fines based on how long the fix took after the compliance deadline:

• Cleanup costs are not negotiable. Money the city spent fixing the problem itself is paid in full.
• New Owner Program. If the violation is still open and the house is being sold to an unrelated buyer, the city may offer that buyer a settlement on the same scale if they fix it by a set date. The offer cannot be passed on.
• Fixing it yourself under permits. An owner who permits and rehabilitates a run-down structure, then passes final inspection and a city compliance check, can have the fines waived, paying only recording costs.
• When the order does not apply. Once a foreclosure action has been filed against the property (including one by the city), for violations the code treats as irreparable, and, per the city's lien page, for houses bought at a tax deed sale.

Disclosure duties, open permits and fine limits under state law are in our code violations guide.

How does the 50% substantial damage rule work in Hillsborough and Tampa?

If repairing a building in a flood zone would cost 50% or more of its pre-damage value, the whole building must meet current flood rules, which can mean elevating, moving or rebuilding it. Unincorporated Hillsborough and Tampa both use 50%, and Tampa adds a two-flood rule.

• Unincorporated county. After Helene and Milton, the county announced letters to every residential and commercial property in the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area. Its 50% Rule page says that no letter does not mean the damage is under the line, and that checking is the property owner's responsibility. Value can come from a state-licensed appraiser or the Property Appraiser, which posts an online 50% calculator.
• City of Tampa. The city's letters, announced December 9, 2024, came from a visual assessment of buildings in the flood hazard area and asked owners to return a determination form. Its hurricane page measures repairs against the building's depreciated value as listed by the Property Appraiser, and the city code also accepts an independent appraisal. Questions: Construction Services, 813-274-3100, option 1.
• Tampa's two-flood rule. City Code Sec. 5-121.182 also counts a building as substantially damaged when it flooded on two separate occasions within ten years and the repairs each time averaged 25% or more of its value. Two moderate floods can count even when neither reached 50%.

The determination is about the building, not the owner, so a buyer faces the same repair rules and prices them in. More in our FEMA 50% rule guide and on selling a flood-damaged house.

Is the house in a flood zone, and what must you disclose about flooding?

Check the county's flood zone maps, but know that the 2024 storms also flooded houses well away from the bay. Florida law requires a seller of a home to hand the buyer a flood disclosure at or before signing the contract.

In 2024, water came from two directions.

• Helene's surge (September 26, 2024) reached 7.2 feet above the average high tide line at East Bay and 6.86 feet at Old Port Tampa, both records, according to the National Weather Service.
• Milton's rain (October 9 and 10, 2024) brought 10 to 15 inches to most of the county and 18.82 inches near Westchase. The Hillsborough River set a record crest of 38.16 feet at Morris Bridge (NWS), and the Alafia River at Lithia passed 23 feet, its highest flooding there since 1933 (Tampa Bay Times).
• Inside Tampa, about 6,500 homes had storm damage, about 2,300 of them major, and 65 were destroyed, the city reported a year later.

Finding the zone. The county's Find My Flood Zone page links its FEMA flood zone viewer and a county floodplain viewer, and notes that its watershed floodplains leave out coastal storm surge. Tampa's hurricane page links a lookup for city addresses.

The disclosure form. Under Fla. Stat. 689.302, the seller of a home must give the buyer a flood disclosure at or before the time the contract is signed. It asks whether you know of flooding that damaged the property, whether you filed an insurance claim for flood damage, and whether you received flood help, such as from FEMA. Selling for cash or as-is does not remove it.

Is repair money still available, or is it better to sell?

Yes, for owners still living in a home that Helene or Milton damaged: on October 30, 2026 the county's Rebuilding for Tomorrow page said single-family applications are open, with no deadline posted. Rentals and second homes do not qualify.

• What it pays (program page): repairs up to $150,000 or 50% of pre-storm value, a rebuild or replacement up to $350,000 when damage is above that, or $10,000 to $50,000 back for finished repairs that meet code.
• Who can apply: owners still living in the damaged home as their primary residence, anywhere in the county including Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City, with household income up to 120% of the area median. Homes in a regulatory floodway are excluded. Mobile and manufactured homes and duplexes to fourplexes can qualify.
• How long it takes: the program estimates 5 to 13 months for a home that still needs work. About 1,600 people had applied by August 2026, and the county keeps taking applications while money remains. Tampa says it stays open until all funding is obligated. Call (813) 540-7767.

If the house needs work but has no flood problem, see selling a house that needs repairs.

What kinds of houses does Hillsborough have, and why does that matter?

Hillsborough's homes are newer than Florida's as a whole: the median home was built in 1991, and nearly 1 in 5 went up in 2010 or later. Still, about 3 in 10 were built before 1980, and the City of Tampa has a deep stock of houses from 1939 or earlier.

Why it matters: the statewide building code replaced local codes on March 1, 2002, and about 62% of Hillsborough homes were built before 2000, under older local rules. Older houses often need a roof, wiring or plumbing update before an insurer or lender is comfortable. In the City of Tampa the median home dates to 1985, and about 8% were built in 1939 or earlier (Florida: about 2%). Almost 4 in 10 occupied homes are rented; if yours is one, see selling a rental with tenants.

Where does Tao Home Buyers fit if you are selling in Hillsborough?

We buy houses as-is across Hillsborough County, as well as in Pinellas and Pasco. We are one option among those above, and not the right one if repair money or a simple fix would leave you ahead.

We are the end buyer: Tao Builders LLC buys in its own name and closes at a licensed title company, and we do not assign or wholesale contracts. Earnest money goes to the title company the same day you sign, or the next business morning if you sign after hours, and our proof of funds is a letter from our lender. When the title is clear we can close in as few as 10 days, and you pick the closing date.

We buy houses with a FEMA substantial damage determination, houses with sinkhole history, mobile and manufactured homes, and condos, including ones facing special assessments. Our cash offer will usually be below what a fully repaired house would sell for on the open market. Matan, the owner, has bought houses around Tampa Bay for 4 years and has personally bought more than 50. He is a licensed Florida real estate sales associate with Jay Alan Real Estate, buying for his own company as a principal, not as anyone's agent.

Sources

Official sources we checked for this page. Rules change, so confirm anything important with the source or a Florida attorney.

1. Probate, Guardianship and Trust (Hillsborough County Clerk of Court)
2. Foreclosure Sales (Hillsborough County Clerk of Court)
3. Tax Deed Sales (Hillsborough County Clerk of Court)
4. Delinquent Property Tax (Hillsborough County Tax Collector)
5. Code Enforcement Lien Settlement (Hillsborough County)
6. Executive Order 2022-16, code lien settlement (City of Tampa)
7. FEMA 50% Rule (Hillsborough County)
8. City Code Sec. 5-121.182, flood definitions (City of Tampa, Municode)
9. Fla. Stat. 163.31795, cumulative substantial improvement periods (Florida Senate)
10. Rebuilding for Tomorrow, Single-Family Housing (Hillsborough County)
11. Hurricane Milton county impacts (National Weather Service, Tampa Bay)
12. Fla. Stat. 689.302, flood disclosure in sale of real property (Florida Senate)