Tax Sale Intel covers 4 counties in 3 states. Their sales follow different laws: some sell the property, some sell a lien first, and the owner's right to redeem ends at different points. The fact sheets below put the rules side by side, and each county page adds its official sources, common questions and a link to that county's research portal.
California · Tax Deed
Michigan · Tax Deed
Florida · Hybrid (Lien + Deed)
California · Tax Deed
The same words mean different things from state to state. Read the rules for the state you are bidding in before comparing results across counties.
Los Angeles and San Bernardino sell the tax-defaulted property itself. The owner's right to redeem ends before the auction starts, so the winning bidder is buying the parcel, not a debt with interest. Each county's Treasurer-Tax Collector runs its own online sale and publishes the parcel list, deposit rules and dates for that sale.
How California tax-defaulted property sales work · Official source: Revenue and Taxation Code 3691 (power to sell)
Miami-Dade runs two separate sales. First the Tax Collector sells tax certificates, which are liens that earn interest while the owner can still pay. Two years after April 1 of the year a certificate was issued, an unpaid certificate's holder can apply for a tax deed, and the Clerk then auctions the property itself. Unlike California, the owner can still redeem until the deed is issued, so parcels often leave the list right up to sale day.
How Florida tax deed sales work · Official source: Florida Statutes, Chapter 197 (Tax Collections, Sales, and Liens)
Wayne County forecloses on tax-delinquent property first and auctions it afterwards. If the owner does not redeem by March 31 after the foreclosure judgment, title passes before the auction, so as in California the bidder buys the property rather than a lien. The Treasurer publishes the auction catalog each year.
How Michigan tax foreclosure auctions work · Official source: MCL 211.78g (forfeiture, redemption, title vesting)
General information, not legal advice. Each county publishes its own sale terms; confirm them with the county before bidding.
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