Detailed answer — what Maryland law and practice mean for you

Start with one principle: legal title to real estate in Maryland is shown by the deed recorded in the county land records. If your name is not on the deed, you are not a recorded owner, even if you pay taxes on the property.

What paying back taxes actually does

• Prevents a tax sale. Paying delinquent taxes to the county tax collector stops or reverses the county’s ability to sell the property for unpaid taxes. This protects the property from being sold to a third party for the tax debt.
• Preserves the property for the true owner(s). Your payment keeps the title intact and avoids the immediate loss that comes from a tax sale.
• Creates a basis to seek repayment. Under Maryland law and equitable principles, a person who pays taxes for the benefit of others can often seek reimbursement from the record owner(s) or from the estate that passed the property to heirs. That claim may be contractual, based on unjust enrichment, or pursued as an equitable lien or accounting in court.

What paying taxes does NOT do

• It does not automatically put your name on the deed.
• It does not convert you into the legal owner without a written deed transfer, probate order, or a court judgment awarding title (for example, from a quiet‑title or adverse possession action).

Common legal routes to become the recorded owner in Maryland

If your goal is ownership rather than protecting the property, the usual steps are:

1. Obtain a deed transfer from the decedent’s estate. If the decedent left a will or the estate goes through probate, the personal representative can transfer title. See Maryland Estates & Trusts law for probate procedures: Md. Code, Estates & Trusts (Maryland).
2. Use small‑estate procedures or heirship affidavits if the estate qualifies. Maryland provides streamlined transfers for smaller estates—check county rules and the statutes linked above.
3. Quiet‑title action. If heirs dispute ownership or a problem with the chain of title exists, a court can declare who holds title after a lawsuit called a quiet‑title action. You can assert equitable claims, like an equitable lien for taxes you paid, inside that action.
4. Adverse possession (rare and fact‑specific). Simply paying taxes rarely satisfies the full legal requirements for adverse possession. Maryland courts require continuous, exclusive, open, and notorious possession for the statutory period and other elements. Consult an attorney before relying on this approach.

Tax sale and redemption issues

Maryland counties follow the Tax‑Property Article of the Maryland Code when selling property for unpaid taxes. Paying the delinquent taxes before a tax sale will normally stop a sale. If a tax sale already occurred, a redemption period and rules determine who can redeem and under what terms. For state statutes and procedures, see the Maryland Tax‑Property Article: Md. Code, Tax‑Property (Maryland).

Practical and legal claims you can make after paying taxes

• Demand repayment from the recorded owner(s) or estate. Provide proof of payment and ask for reimbursement.
• Record a lien or file suit. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to ask a court to recognize an equitable lien or constructive trust to secure repayment from the property. Courts look at intent, agreements among heirs, and whether your payment benefitted the property.
• Negotiate an ownership transfer. Heirs often resolve disputes by executing a new deed that adds the taxpayer as an owner in exchange for repayment terms or other consideration.

Example (hypothetical) to show how this usually plays out

Suppose Alice’s parent dies owning a vacant parcel. Alice pays $5,000 in back taxes to stop a pending county tax sale. Alice is not on the recorded deed. She has several options: (1) ask the other heirs or the estate’s personal representative to sign a deed transferring their interest to her in return for reimbursement; (2) file a claim in probate or civil court seeking repayment and an equitable lien; or (3) if the estate is small, use Maryland’s small‑estate transfer process to obtain a deed if she is the rightful heir. If the heirs refuse and the title dispute persists, she may need to file a quiet‑title action to resolve ownership and secure reimbursement.

Key Maryland statutes and resources

• Maryland Tax‑Property Article (tax sale rules and redemption): https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=taxp
• Maryland Real Property Article (deeds, recording, adverse possession concepts): https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=realp
• Maryland Estates & Trusts Article (probate and estate administration): https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=est
• Maryland Judiciary self‑help and court forms (probate and civil actions): https://www.courts.state.md.us/

Bottom line: Paying back taxes is responsible and protects the property from tax sale, and it gives you leverage to demand repayment or seek an interest in the property. But it does not replace the need for a deed, probate transfer, or court order to become the recorded owner in Maryland.

Helpful Hints — Practical next steps

• Get a certified copy of the deed and check county land records to confirm the current recorded owner.
• Keep receipts and written proof of any tax payments and communications with the county tax office.
• Contact the county tax collector immediately if you’re trying to stop a tax sale—timing matters.
• Talk to the estate’s personal representative (if there is one) and other heirs. Try to reach a written agreement about repayment and title transfer.
• Consider a signed written agreement (promissory note or deed in escrow) before making large payments for taxes or improvements.
• If heirs won’t cooperate, consult a Maryland real‑property or probate attorney about filing a suit for repayment, an equitable lien, or a quiet‑title action.
• If the estate is small, check whether Maryland’s small‑estate transfer rules could give you a simple path to title.
• Do not assume adverse possession applies. It is fact‑intensive and rarely relies on tax payments alone.