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County hears briefing on tax certificate sale process and options for leftover parcels
Summary
A tax-sale services representative explained certificate- and deed-sale options for parcels left over from fall tax sales; commissioners asked questions and discussed next steps.
A representative who assists counties with tax sales briefed Decatur County commissioners March 17 on options for parcels that remain unsold after the fall tax sale.
The speaker explained two post-sale remedies: a certificate sale and a deed sale. A certificate sale allows the county to reduce the minimum bid (the presenter suggested $150'$200 as customary) to encourage buyers for parcels that have repeatedly failed to sell; redemption periods are shorter for certificates (the presenter said 120 days). The presenter said deed sales require planning in advance because a deed must be taken within 120 days of the fall tax sale and said a deed sale was not possible for this calendar year due to timing.
The vendor said Decatur County currently had about 23 leftover parcels on the list from the 2024 tax cycle. He said the county could reuse fall-sale notices already sent to property owners and that a certificate sale requires publication in the newspaper for three consecutive weeks with the last notice at least 30 days before the sale.
Commissioners and staff asked clarifying questions about fees, notice timing and the responsibilities of a certificate buyer (for example, conducting title searches and sending notice to interested parties). The vendor said his firm typically charges a 15% fee on certificate-sale bids but would waive per-parcel fees for these leftover parcels so as not to discourage buyers.
The board did not take formal action at the briefing beyond discussing next steps and identifying the county representative (Chad) who will work with the vendor moving forward.
