Help center · Counties and lists
How to read a county tax sale list
What the parcel, owner, opening bid and taxes due columns mean, and what to check before sale day.
Each county page shows the county's list as the county published it, one row per property.
The columns
- Parcel: the county's parcel or tax ID. Use it to look the property up on the county assessor's site.
- Address: the property address as the county lists it. Some lists show only a street, or none for vacant land.
- Owner / defendant: the name on the tax execution, usually the owner of record when the taxes went unpaid.
- Opening bid or taxes due: what the county says is owed. The opening bid includes taxes, interest, penalties and costs; a "taxes due" column may not include the costs.
Before sale day
- Look the parcel up on the assessor's and the tax commissioner's sites.
- Check the county's own list again close to the sale; properties come off it all the time.
- Read the county's bidder rules and payment terms.
Downloading a list
Members can download a county's list as a CSV file from the county page. The first 5 rows of every list are free to view on the page; see free rows and the waitlist.
Not legal, financial or investment advice. Every property has its own risks, including liens that may survive a tax sale.
Quick answers
- Can I download the list?
- Members can download a county's list as a CSV from the county page.
- Does the opening bid include everything I will pay?
- It is what the county says is owed at the sale. Check the county's bidder rules for any other fees.
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