Treasurer opens county tax-lien sale on RealAuction; deposits and registration due Feb. 13

Santa Cruz County’s treasurer’s office on Feb. 4 walked the Board of Supervisors and the public through the RealAuction tax‑lien sale portal and important deadlines for bidders.

A staff presentation showed how to register, review bidding rules and place bids. The portal includes the statutes governing tax certificate purchases (the presenter referenced Arizona statutes ARS 42-1818 and ARS 42-18116 and noted processing fees and a nonrefundable registration fee per ARS 42-18153). The treasurer’s office emphasized that purchasing a tax certificate is not a guarantee of profit and that property owners retain the right to redeem tax liens.

Bidding opened Jan. 24 and the auction groups the roughly 7,000 parcels into nine batches that close in 60‑minute intervals on Feb. 13, with the first batch closing at 8 a.m. and the last at 4 p.m. Deposits are required on registration equal to 10% of the bidder’s intended investment; payments for certificates will be accepted by ACH only. The office has printed FAQ materials and offered public-computer access at the library and county recorder’s office for people who need assistance.

Treasurer staff said there are about $13 million in assessed value across parcels offered in the sale and reminded bidders that if a winning bidder fails to pay by the deadline for a batch, the lien may be awarded to the next bidder. Staff encouraged prospective bidders to use the portal’s parcel maps and records to do due diligence before bidding.

Board members thanked staff for repeated updates; no board action was required beyond the informational demonstration.