More than 1,000 Miami-Dade County property owners avoided losing their homes and businesses to public auction after a county outreach program helped them resolve delinquent taxes.

The countywide figures include Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay property owners, though no municipality-level breakdown was available. The results were published under the Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Kendall editions of Community Newspapers.

Outreach Program Helped 1,046 Property Owners

Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez announced Sept. 2 that the 2026 Tax Deed Application Outreach Program had helped 1,046 property owners redeem their properties. That amounts to about 43.1% of the 2,428 tax deed applications filed between April 1 and Aug. 17.

A tax deed application is filed when property taxes go unpaid long enough that a certificate holder can seek to take ownership through public auction. The outreach program, launched May 1, aims to reach those owners before that happens.

How the Tax Collector's Office Reaches Owners

The Tax Collector's Property Tax Roll Administration and Delinquency Unit contacts property owners by phone, email and mail, walks them through deadlines and payment options, and follows up when initial attempts go unanswered.

"Behind every property is a person, a family, a small business, or someone who may simply not understand the tax deed process," Fernandez said in the blog post. "Our job is not only to collect. We also have a responsibility to educate, communicate, and help taxpayers understand their options."

Fernandez urged residents who receive notices from his office not to ignore them. He said the 1,046 redeemed properties represent owners who took action and resolved their accounts.

How to Pay Delinquent Taxes

Residents with outstanding property taxes can pay online through the Miami-Dade County tax payment portal. E-check payments carry no convenience fee. Credit and debit card payments carry a 2.5% fee with a $2.50 minimum.

Payments can also be mailed to Dariel Fernandez Tax Collector, Miami-Dade County, 200 N.W. Second Ave., Miami, FL 33128. The office phone number is 305-375-5448, and the email is [email protected].

County Budget Hearing Set for Sept. 17

Miami-Dade County's second and final public budget hearing for fiscal year 2026-27 is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17, at 5:01 p.m. in the Commission Chambers at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, 111 N.W. First St., Miami. Residents can speak in person, watch on Miami-Dade Television or view a live webcast at the county's website. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has proposed holding the county's operating property tax rate flat for a fourth consecutive year, according to a county budget announcement.