Selling a house in Pinellas County: the offices, rules and deadlines that matter

Where does a Pinellas probate case go, and what do heirs do first?

Probate here runs through the Sixth Judicial Circuit and the Pinellas Clerk. Since December 8, 2025, each new case goes to Section 3 in Clearwater or Section 4 in St. Petersburg, and the ZIP code of the petitioner's lawyer decides which, not the address of the house.

Administrative Order 2025-035 lists the ZIP codes: 33755 (Clearwater) goes to Section 3, for example, and 33701 (downtown St. Petersburg) to Section 4. Without a lawyer, the filer's own ZIP code counts, and unlisted ZIP codes are split evenly.

1. Deposit the will. Whoever holds the original must file it with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death. No lawyer is needed for that (Clerk's probate page).
2. Plan on a lawyer for the case. The Clerk notes that Florida Probate Rule 5.030 requires one in many cases and that its Self Help Center can't assist with probate. It lists low-cost help, such as Gulfcoast Legal Services.
3. Know the offices. Probate records are kept at the Clearwater Courthouse (315 Court St., Room 106), the North County center on McMullen Booth Road and the St. Petersburg branch (545 First Ave. N.).
4. Tell the Property Appraiser. If the only owner had a homestead exemption, the Property Appraiser wants the death certificate and probate papers, such as an Order Determining Homestead. It warns that an exemption nobody is entitled to can lead to costly liens.

Timing for each stage: Florida probate timeline. Selling during or after the case: selling an inherited house.

What happens when Pinellas property taxes go unpaid?

The Tax Collector sells a tax certificate on the unpaid bill by June 1. Two years after the taxes went delinquent, the certificate holder can file for a tax deed, which leads to a public auction.

1. Late October. Bills go out on the last business day of the month, payable from November 1 through March 31.
2. April 1. Unpaid taxes are delinquent. Payment must arrive at the office (postmarks don't count), and partial payments aren't accepted.
3. By June 1. The online certificate sale. If payment isn't in by 4:30 p.m. the business day before, a certificate is issued.
4. Each February. Courtesy letters go to owners at risk of a tax deed, with a deadline of the last business day of March.
5. After a tax deed application. All taxes, interest and fees must be paid in full, and reaching auction takes 3 to 6 months.

Per the Tax Collector's tax deed page and FAQ (October 2026), installment plan applications for 2027 taxes run November 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. In a sale, back taxes are usually paid from the proceeds at closing; see selling with back taxes or liens.

Where are Pinellas foreclosure and tax deed auctions held?

Both are online and run by the Clerk. Per the Clerk's site, foreclosure sales take place at pinellas.realforeclose.com on weekdays from 10:00 a.m., and tax deed sales at Pinellas.RealTaxDeed.com on scheduled days from 11:00 a.m.

A foreclosure sale date comes from the judge's order or final judgment, and the Clerk keeps public computers for sales at the Clearwater Courthouse and the St. Petersburg judicial building (Clerk's foreclosure page). A tax deed sale starts when the Tax Collector notifies the Clerk and is advertised in a local newspaper; the Clerk's tax deed page says it goes ahead unless the property is redeemed first.

Who handles code cases and code liens on a Pinellas house?

That depends on the address. County Code Enforcement covers only the unincorporated areas, and each of the 24 cities, including St. Petersburg and Clearwater, has its own code office, lien search and fees.

When the county launched its lien settlement program in 2021, it announced caps of $20,000 per violation on property used as a single-family home and $100,000 on other property (county news release). We could not find the current code text, so ask whether the cap applies to your lien. The county says the owner or a buyer must pay the debt before the lien comes off. More: selling with code violations.

Does the 49% rule apply to my Pinellas house?

In unincorporated Pinellas and in St. Petersburg, a house is substantially damaged when repairs reach 49% of the building's value before the damage, land not counted. It then has to meet current flood rules, which can mean elevating or replacing it. Clearwater's code uses 50%, and other cities set their own rule.

1. Find the value. On the Property Appraiser's FEMA value page, look up the parcel and choose "FEMA/WLM Letter" in the Quick Pick box.
2. Check for a letter on the county's lookup map, where you can download it.
3. Mark the date. The county's FAQ gives owners with a Helene or Milton letter until December 31, 2026 to comply (checked October 2026).
4. Ask for a new review if the numbers look wrong. The FAQ says a determination is not final; you can send photos, an elevation certificate and other papers.

A condo or townhouse building gets one determination for the whole building, and repair costs for units and common areas are added together (county condo repair page; storm permitting guide).

Mobile homes took the hardest hit. As of October 2025, about 1,000 homes in unincorporated Pinellas had a determination, about 80% of them manufactured or mobile homes, a county spokesperson told Bay News 9. About 70% of block or wood-frame houses that sought a reassessment were reversed. See selling a mobile home.

How do you check a Pinellas flood zone, and what must a seller disclose?

The county's flood map tool shows the zone for any parcel, and Clearwater runs its own lookup. Separately, Florida law requires a home seller to give the buyer a flood disclosure at or before the time the contract is signed.

• County maps. The floodplain construction page links the map tool (floodmaps.pinellas.gov) and Flood Information Services, (727) 464-7700. The county has elevation certificates for buildings built in the unincorporated floodplain since 1992; city owners should ask their city.
• Clearwater. The city's flood zone page links a parcel search that shows certificates on file and past improvements, and warns owners they could be "unknowingly nearing" the substantial improvement threshold.
• The state form. Under Fla. Stat. 689.302, the seller says whether they know of flood damage while they owned the home, filed a flood insurance claim, or got flood help such as from FEMA. The statute lists no exception for as-is or cash sales.
• The county brochure. In the county's Real Estate Flood Disclosure Program, agents fill in a brochure with the home's flood risk, evacuation level and insurance requirement.

What should a Pinellas condo owner check before selling?

Find out whether the building's milestone inspection and structural integrity reserve study are done, and whether a storm determination covers the building. The county handles milestone inspections for the unincorporated areas and seven small cities; St. Petersburg, Clearwater and other cities have their own building departments.

• County milestone program. Under Ordinance 24-18, the county takes reports for unincorporated Pinellas, Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor and Kenneth City: buildings three stories or taller, at 30 years and every 10 years after, registered in the Access Portal (milestone page).
• Reserve study. For most existing condo buildings three stories or taller, it was due by December 31, 2025, or alongside a milestone inspection due by December 31, 2026, and never later than that date (Fla. Stat. 718.112).

About 30% of Pinellas housing units are in buildings of five or more units, against about 25% statewide (Census table below). If the association has voted a big assessment, see selling a condo with a special assessment.

Why do so many Pinellas houses run into these rules?

Pinellas homes are older than Florida's overall. The median home here was built in 1977, against 1988 statewide, and about 59% were built before 1980.

Census tables: year built and units in structure. Houses this age often need roof, wiring or plumbing updates before an insurer or lender is comfortable, and older houses in flood zones may sit below the height now required for new or substantially improved buildings. So repairs here often run into permits, the 49% line or both. See selling a house that needs repairs.

How does Tao Home Buyers buy houses in Pinellas County?

We buy houses as-is for cash across Pinellas, in the cities and the unincorporated areas, including mobile and manufactured homes, condos facing special assessments, houses with a substantial damage determination and houses with sinkhole history.

We are the end buyer: Tao Builders LLC buys in its own name, closes at a licensed title company and never assigns or wholesales a contract. Earnest money reaches the title company the day you sign (or the next business morning after hours), and our proof of funds is a letter from our lender.

With clear title we can close in as few as 10 days, on the date you pick. A cash offer is usually below what the house would bring fully repaired on the open market, so if it needs little work, listing may leave you more. 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. Administrative Order 2025-035, assignment of Pinellas probate cases (Sixth Judicial Circuit)
2. Probate and Mental Health (Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court)
3. Mortgage foreclosure online sales (Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court)
4. Tax deed sales (Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court)
5. Tax certificate and tax deed (Pinellas County Tax Collector)
6. How to request a lien reduction (Pinellas County)
7. Substantial damage FAQs (Pinellas County)
8. Find my FEMA 50% (49%) values (Pinellas County Property Appraiser)
9. City Code Sec. 16.40.050.9.4, floodplain definitions (City of St. Petersburg, Municode)
10. Community Development Code Sec. 51.851, flood definitions (City of Clearwater, Municode)
11. Fla. Stat. 689.302, flood disclosure (Florida Senate)
12. American Community Survey 2020-2024, year structure built, Pinellas County (U.S. Census Bureau)