Beaufort County treasurer lays out rules at delinquent tax sale and urges bidders to respect heirs property

Beaufort County Treasurer Maria Walls opened the county's 2024 delinquent tax sale and told attendees the county would auction 186 parcels, the lowest number on record. She described the sale as "buyer beware," outlined payment and receipt procedures and warned owners about outside companies that charge large fees to collect any excess funds from sales.

"We do have a 186 properties being auctioned today, and I am so excited that it is the lowest number ever," Maria Walls said, adding that the county provides a help center and packet for bidders to research parcels before placing bids. She reminded bidders that purchasers receive a single certified receipt and that delinquent owners retain a statutory redemption period: "you still have 1 year from today and 1 day to redeem your property," a guest speaker explained during the session.

The treasurer emphasized the county's role in holding sale overages in escrow during the redemption period and warned that predatory companies sometimes contact owners after the sale. "They are typically charging a 30% to 45% collection fee to get you your own money that we're gonna help you redeem get for free," Walls said, urging owners not to sign contracts promising to recover overage funds for a steep commission.

Community advocates who addressed the room asked bidders to recognize parcels identified as heirs property. "The simple definition of heir's property is that the owner of the property died intestate or without a will," Mitch Mitchell of Penn Center told attendees, adding that multiple heirs on a title often create disputes that can lead to tax delinquency. Luanna Graves Sellers of the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation framed the issue in cultural terms, saying heirs property often represents long-standing family ties and Gullah Geechee heritage in Beaufort County.

The auctioneer announced and sold parcels throughout the morning and midday, taking the crowd through the county's add-on rule (where a bid that covers an owner's other consecutive parcels will cause the later parcels to be skipped) and repeatedly asking heirs to stand when a lot was flagged so the room would be aware of family claims. Several flagged lots appeared during the sale; the auctioneer paused and restarted bidding on multiple parcels to make those notices.

A number of lots drew competitive bids, including several six-figure and larger sales recorded by the auctioneer. The sale concluded after a broad cross-section of properties were sold or passed, and county staff directed bidders to the payment area and explained the deadlines for final payments and receipt retention.

The treasurer and staff reiterated online resources and county contact information for questions about redemption, overage claims and bidding rules. Maria Walls told bidders the county would accept payments at the check-in tables until 2:00 p.m. the same day.

What happens next: delinquent owners have the statutory redemption window to reclaim a redeemed parcel; the county said it will notify owners about overage funds and requires identification for claims.