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Real Estate Dates & Info Leading Up to the Tax Sale for 2006 Tax Year:
- All accounts will be delinquent on January 1, 2007. Payments after this date will be charged late charges.
- Payments after January 1st. $5.00 delinquent fee, 12% annual interest (this is 1% a month) and if live in the county and have to pay a garbage fee, there is an assessed $15.00 late fee on the garbage fee. When the decree of sale is generated, there are additional fees added and when the ads go to the paper there are additional fees added.
- No partial payments after December 15, 2006. Any accounts with partial payments on them after this date will be unsold and the money sent back. Late fees will be added to the balance on any accounts not paid in full by January 1st.
- Schedule up to the Tax Sale is as follows:
Delinquent - January 1st
Dummy Delinquent - Notice January 22nd
Decree of Sale – February 12
Decree of Sale Court Date – March 5
Paper run – March 21nd – Pickup on March 15th
Paper run – March 28th - Pickup on March 22rd
Paper run – April 4th – Pickup on March 29th
Tax Sale – May 2rd
Last day to redeem property in this office – May 7th
- To avoid name appearing in the paper their account has to be paid by 12:00 p.m. on March 14th. If the paid after it appears the first week the name will be pulled out for the second or third run if taxes are paid before the pickup date.
- No checks on property after February 1st. At that point, cash, cashier's check, or money order only. The exception to this rule will be attorney's checks and mortgage company checks.
- No property payments are to be made in Smith Station Office after May 1st. The customer will need to come to the main office if the property sells toredeem it within the 5-day grace period.
TAX SALE INFORMATION FOR LEE COUNTY
Tax sales are held in May of each year for all unpaid tax properties.
OLINE W. PRICE, ACTA - LEE COUNTY REVENUE COMMISSIONER
Properties are advertised in the local newspaper, The Opelika-Auburn News, for three weeks in March & April of each year.
Properties are for sale at the courthouse in a public outcry auction, usually beginning at 10:00 am, on the first Wednesday of May each year. Anyone wishing to purchase must appear in person and if there are bids - property interest goes to the highest bidder.
In Alabama - purchasers of tax sale properties are only purchasing the Tax interest only - there is no fee simple title.
According to the Code of Alabama, Section 40-10-11.1. By virtue of a decree I will proceed to sell to the highest bidder all properties contained in the list provided. Terms of the sale are cash, certified funds or check with a bank letter of credit if you are a first-time purchaser. You must be registered in order to purchase property at this sale.
Sales are not perfected until 15 days after sale, at which time a tax certificate will be issued to the purchaser, not a tax deed. Certificates of sale will be available and must be picked up and signed for in person at the courthouse in the property collections department. After obtaining the tax certificate, the purchaser must go to the assessment department to assess the property in their name. The purchaser of the tax certificate is required to pay taxes which are due and payable October 1, for three consecutive years following purchase. Purchaser will be issued a tax deed 3 years after sale, upon presentation of the original tax certificate and three years tax receipts and payment of a $5 fee.
Any time within the first three years the owners of said property can redeem this property and the redemption money is refunded to the purchasers of the tax lien property. The certificate of sale is then null and void.
All liens and mortgages take precedent over the tax sale.
The State of Alabama warns: buyers beware on the purchase of tax title. You are buying tax interest only - not the property.
No tax deed is insurable for title insurance on resale's or mortgages.
The present rate of interest is 12 percent per year. If the property is redeemed by rightful owner, the principal, plus interest earned at time of redemption is refunded to the purchase of tax liens.
Tax properties not purchased are returned to the State of Alabama. After these are sent to the state - purchasers wishing to buy tax interest at this time must apply to the State Department of Revenue Ad Valorem Tax Division, Post Office Box 327210, Montgomery, Alabama 36132-7210. The state will notify you of the amount necessary to purchase the tax lien. The state will only accept certified checks for tax sale purchases.
To Go To State of Alabama Department of Revenue Property Tax Division web pages, click here.
http://www.revenue.alabama.gov/advalorem/transcript/transcript.htm
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