tax lien
Rhode Island tax lien guide
Rhode Island distinguishes direct private tax-sale purchases from municipal tax-title assignments. This calculator covers a municipal assignment under §44-9-21 before a foreclosure petition, using the original assignment amount only.
Source review applies to the named instrument and scope in the worked example below. It does not cover every county procedure or transaction in Rhode Island.
When does the clock start?
Measure the statutory schedule from the original collector sale date, not the later assignment date. The assignment date separately establishes when this purchaser acquired the claim.
How and when is a return earned?
10% first six months; an additional 1% for each succeeding month
What amount earns a return?
Assignment amount stated in the instrument
What happens at redemption?
The right of redemption continues until properly foreclosed. The collector’s first-year redemption role is not a one-year cutoff.
When does earning end?
The supported assignment calculation ends before a foreclosure petition; direct private auction purchases and subsequent tax payments follow separate rules.
Does property use change the rules?
Classification sources checked 2026-09-15. Review applies to the procedures described below; calculator support is stated separately.
Owner-occupied residential property with three or fewer units gives Rhode Island Housing a statutory right of first refusal to acquire the tax lien, subject to its timely election. This can change who buys the lien.
Vacant structures that are vandalized or not code-compliant can qualify for a court-approved expedited foreclosure petition after 60 days from recording the tax-sale deed. A building-official certificate is evidence, not an automatic foreclosure; the expedited route also carries a rehabilitation obligation.
What to verify before bidding
Verify owner occupancy, unit count, housing-agency election, recorded deed date, building-official evidence and court findings.
What this calculator covers
The example covers a municipal tax-title assignment before a foreclosure petition. Direct auction purchases and expedited foreclosure costs or deadlines are outside its scope.
Try the rules
A worked redemption example
Rhode Island municipal tax-title assignment. Municipal assignment under §44-9-21 before foreclosure petition; original assignment amount only. Direct private auction purchases excluded.
Assignment amount stated in the instrument
The prefilled amounts and any collector conventions below are illustrative assumptions. Confirm those facts for an actual holding.
How the return grows
Redemption premiums over time.
Municipal assignment under §44-9-21 before foreclosure petition; original assignment amount only. Direct private auction purchases excluded.
View values at each change
| Date | Interest and premium |
|---|---|
| Jan 15, 2026 | $100.00 |
| Jul 16, 2026 | $110.00 |
| Aug 16, 2026 | $120.00 |
| Sep 16, 2026 | $130.00 |
| Oct 16, 2026 | $140.00 |
| Nov 16, 2026 | $150.00 |
| Dec 16, 2026 | $160.00 |
| Jan 16, 2027 | $170.00 |
| Feb 16, 2027 | $180.00 |
| Mar 16, 2027 | $190.00 |
| Apr 16, 2027 | $200.00 |
| May 16, 2027 | $210.00 |
| Jun 16, 2027 | $220.00 |
| Jul 16, 2027 | $230.00 |
| Aug 16, 2027 | $240.00 |
| Sep 16, 2027 | $250.00 |
| Oct 16, 2027 | $260.00 |
| Nov 16, 2027 | $270.00 |
| Dec 16, 2027 | $280.00 |
| Jan 15, 2028 | $280.00 |
10% first six months; an additional 1% for each succeeding month Values use the inputs above and the same calculator as the worked example.
- Interest
- $0.00
- Minimum top-up at redemption
- $0.00
- Redemption premium
- $100.00
- Statutory interest and premium at redemption
- $100.00
Estimated repayment including the documented base: $1,100.00.
- Municipal assignment under §44-9-21 before foreclosure petition; original assignment amount only. Direct private auction purchases excluded.
- Use the original collector-sale clock, even when the municipal assignment occurs later.
- Amounts describe this scoped investor entitlement estimate, not received cash or a complete owner payoff.
- Incomplete-month treatment is the supplied started collector convention; educational examples illustrate an assumption, not a verified statewide rule.
Illustrative statutory components only, not investment profit. Nonrefundable overbids and fees can produce a loss even when interest is earned. Cash receipts, property value, sale proceeds and booked income are separate.
Before you bid
What to watch for
- Do not mistake the collector’s first-year collection role for automatic investor ownership after twelve months.
- Calculator scope: Municipal assignment under §44-9-21 before foreclosure petition; original assignment amount only. Direct private auction purchases excluded.
Read the rules
Official sources
Use the governing law and the county’s sale terms to confirm the rules for your certificate or deed.
Keep reading
Related guides
Compare nearby states, then return to the full library or the product page that matches this instrument.