Tax Deeds

Property owners are required to pay property taxes on an annual basis to the county Tax Collector.  If the owner fails to pay his/her taxes, a tax certificate is sold by the Tax Collector on or before June 1 of the following year. A tax certificate is a lien for unpaid property taxes along with additional monetary penalties, advertising costs and fees. 

Anytime within two and seven years of purchasing the certificate, the certificate holder may request the sale of the property to satisfy the certificate by completing a tax deed application with the Tax Collector. The application is then forwarded to the Clerk who administers the sale. The Clerk’s fee is $70 for each application.  Additional costs for advertising, sheriff’s service fees, and certified, registered and regular mail fees must also be paid in order to proceed with the sale. Once all costs have been paid, the Clerk notifies the parties of the date and time of the impending online sale. If any additional fees are accrued after the application is completed, they will be included in the opening bid.

Tax deed information and instructions for participating in the sale are available at RealAuction.

The Clerk’s office is not authorized to give legal advice or assist in the research of properties. All properties are sold “as is,” and bidders are responsible for conducting their own research as to the condition of the property and the state of the title of the property being sold. If you require legal advice, you should obtain it from a licensed attorney.  

For each piece of property purchased, the successful high bidder is required to pay a non-refundable deposit equal to 5 percent of the final bid or $200, whichever is greater, at the time of the sale.

The property owner can redeem his or her property by satisfying the liens prior to the Clerk receiving payment for the sale.

After the tax deed sale is complete, the Clerk determines who may be entitled to any surplus funds left over.