Q: How can I purchase properties seized for non-payment of taxes?
A: Attend the annual tax sale. The date of the delinquent tax sale is advertised in local newspapers.

Q: Can I make payments on my delinquent taxes or redeem my property in installments?
A: No. However, if you owe several years' taxes, you may pay one year at a time(provided your property was not sold in the tax sale). You must pay the oldest year first. If your property was sold in the tax sale and several years' of taxes are owed, you must pay all taxes owed.

Q: What methods of payment are accepted for delinquent taxes?
A: Cash, personal checks, business checks, certified checks and money orders are acceptable during most of the year. No personal checks are accepted approximately 6 weeks prior to the tax sale. However, during the annual tax sale you must pay with cash, US Postal money order, or cashier's check. No personal checks are accepted. At this time, credit cards are not an accepted form of payment.

Q: If I pay someone else's delinquent tax bill, does the property become mine?
A: No, anyone can pay a tax bill. However, payment of someone else's tax bill does not give one claim to the property.

Q: If my property is sold at the Delinquent Tax Sale, can I get it back?
A: When real property or mobile homes are sold at the delinquent tax sale, the defaulting taxpayer has one year from the date of the sale to redeem the property. In order to redeem property before it is conveyed to a new owner, the defaulting taxpayer must pay the redemption amount. This consists of the taxes, interest on the bid amount (the amount for which the property was sold at the tax sale) plus penalties.

Q: If my property is sold at the Delinquent Tax Sale, what happens to any leftover money after the taxes, penalties, levy costs and interest are paid?
A: The Delinquent Tax Collector creates a "balance-in-trust" when the bid amount exceeds the delinquent taxes, penalties, levy costs and current year's taxes. If the property is conveyed to the bidder, the defaulting taxpayer is entitled to the balance-in-trust. If the delinquent taxpayer redeems the property, the bid amount plus interest is returned to the bidder.