Barbour County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Barbour County, seat of Clayton: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 27, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Alabama tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Barbour County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Barbour County Revenue Commissioner (Marshall J. Williams III)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Barbour County publishes no sale date on its official site. The only official timing statement found is statewide, from the Alabama Department of Revenue Land Sales FAQ: "A public tax auction is held every year usually the first Monday in May." Confirm the Barbour date with the Revenue Commissioner before relying on it. The county's Collection Info page sets the delinquency clock: "Property taxes are due October 1 of each year" and "Ad Valorem taxes become delinquent January 1. Interest accrues at 1% per month."
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
- Sale list
- Barbour County Delinquent Search
Registration and deposit
No bidder registration instructions are published for Barbour County. The Revenue Commissioner's portal offers Delinquent, Redemption and Insolvent record searches only, with no auction or investor-portal page enabled, so call the office at (334) 775-3474 (Clayton) or (334) 687-7639 (Eufaula) for sale terms and bidder requirements. Parcels already held by the State are bought from the Alabama Department of Revenue Property Tax Division instead of at auction: "You may request a price quote for state-held tax delinquent property by submitting an electronic application," and "You are given 10 calendar days from the date on the price quote to remit your payment."
No Barbour County tax lien or certificate sale page was found on any official source. The Revenue Commissioner's site covers billing, assessment, delinquent, redemption and insolvent record searches, but publishes no sale date, no bidder packet, and no auction platform. No online auction platform was verified for this county, so the sale format is unconfirmed; verify with the office before planning a bid. Unsold parcels pass to the State: the Department of Revenue Property Tax Division publishes a Barbour transcript of tax delinquent land available for sale at https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/property-tax-transcripts/WWW_TRANS_06.PDF (dated 07/20/2026 when checked), and that inventory sells by price quote, not by auction. The office runs two locations, Clayton (county seat, 1 Court Square) and Eufaula (405 East Barbour Street), both open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
From lien to deed
- Run by
- Circuit court of the county; the circuit clerk executes the deed
- Frequency
- none (court action, not a scheduled auction)
- Typical timing
- Not scheduled. A certificate holder may file no earlier than four years after the tax lien auction and no later than ten years after it
Alabama counties on the tax lien auction method hold no separate tax deed auction. Title passes only through a circuit court action to foreclose the right to redeem and quiet title, which ends in a circuit clerk's deed. A person entitled to redeem can answer that action by demanding a public auction instead, in which case the court sets a minimum bid equal to the redemption amount plus back taxes and allowed costs, and any surplus goes to the owner. A county that instead elects the Article 1 property tax sale sells the land itself at the courthouse and the judge of probate issues a deed after three years. Confirm which method your county uses.
Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Liens that draw no bid at the auction stay with the county. At any time after the auction date the tax collecting official may sell an unsold lien at private sale for no less than all taxes, interest, penalties, costs and fees due, plus any amount owed to a prior certificate holder. The rate is agreed with the tax collecting official and cannot exceed 12 percent, so over-the-counter liens often carry the full rate. Ask the county for its list of unsold liens.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Barbour County Revenue Commissioner
(334) 775-3474 (Clayton), (334) 687-7639 (Eufaula)
1 Court Square, Clayton, AL 36016 (county seat office); 405 East Barbour Street, Eufaula, AL 36027 (Eufaula office and the mailing address given for tax payments); the Department of Revenue also lists P.O. Box 267, Clayton, AL 36016
Official websiteNotes for Barbour County
- The Revenue Commissioner's official portal is barbour.capturecama.com, linked from the county government site as the Revenue Commissioner and Property Taxes destination.
- Nothing on the county site identifies which regime Barbour elected under Code of Alabama 1975, section 40-10-180. The portal exposes no tax lien auction page and no investor portal, which points toward the traditional tax sale rather than an online tax lien auction, but this is not stated on any page and needs a phone confirmation.
- GovEase's live and upcoming auction table was checked and listed no Alabama counties at the time of research, so it neither confirms nor rules out Barbour using that platform.
- Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at both the Clayton and Eufaula locations.
- Checks for tax payments are made payable to Marshall J. Williams, III, Revenue Commissioner, mailed to 405 E Barbour St, Eufaula, AL 36027.
Alabama statewide rules
- Redemption
- A tax lien can be redeemed at any time before the circuit court enters judgment in a foreclosure action, and the holder cannot file that action until four years after the auction or the tax official's private sale. If the holder does not commence a foreclosure action within ten years of the auction or sale, the certificate expires and the lien becomes void. A certificate holder has no right to enter or possess the property, make repairs, or charge rents before it receives the circuit clerk's deed. In a county that uses the Article 1 property tax sale instead, land sold to a purchaser other than the state may be redeemed within three years from the date of sale, and land bid in for the state may be redeemed at any time before title passes out of the state.
- Surplus proceeds
- In a court-ordered auction the proceeds pay the cost of the auction first, then the certificate holder up to the redemption amount plus taxes it paid before filing and the court-allowed costs and fees. Any surplus goes to the owner or the owner's heirs or successors as the court determines, and Alabama's unclaimed property law applies to whatever is left. In a county that instead uses the Article 1 property tax sale, the excess over the decree is held in a separate county account for three years for a party who redeems, and Section 40-10-28 opens later windows in which the owner or a redeeming party can claim it.
A tax deed does not convey marketable title. Most buyers file a quiet title action before they can resell or insure the property. See the due diligence guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does Barbour County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Barbour County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Barbour County tax certificate sale?
- Barbour County publishes no sale date on its official site. The only official timing statement found is statewide, from the Alabama Department of Revenue Land Sales FAQ: "A public tax auction is held every year usually the first Monday in May." Confirm the Barbour date with the Revenue Commissioner before relying on it. The county's Collection Info page sets the delinquency clock: "Property taxes are due October 1 of each year" and "Ad Valorem taxes become delinquent January 1. Interest accrues at 1% per month.". Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the Tax Collector before the sale.
How often does Barbour County hold tax deed sales?
- none (court action, not a scheduled auction). Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.
Tax Sale Atlas publishes educational information about public tax sale processes. This is not legal, financial, or investment advice. Rules, dates, and fees change; confirm with the county office before you bid.
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