Blount County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Blount County, seat of Oneonta: 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 Blount County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Blount County Revenue Commissioner
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual online tax lien auction in late March. The county page states: "The 2026 Blount County Tax Lien Auction and Sale will be held online on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 9:00 am CST."
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Bidders register directly on the Ingenuity Auctions platform. The county page describes the process: "Registration should only take 2-3 minutes. You'll verify your email, create a secure password, and provide any additional details required for bidding." The platform carries a Registration link and an "Apply for access to the Ingenuity Auctions system" login step. Registration support is listed as [email protected] or (205) 263-4560. The county page publishes no bidder deposit amount and no registration cutoff date, so confirm both with the office or the platform before the sale.
Blount County sells tax liens, not deeds, and the county page cites Code of Alabama Title 40, Chapter 10, Article 7 (Sale of Tax Liens) as the governing law. The sale is conducted entirely online through Ingenuity Auctions; no in-person courthouse auction is advertised. The delinquent listing page carries a notice that under Alabama law a $45 administrative fee is added to each tax lien sold at auction. The listing page references tax year 2025 liens offered at the March 24, 2026 auction. The county page publishes no bid-down mechanics, payment deadline, or redemption detail; those come from the state statute rather than the county site.
Register on Online auctionFrom 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)
Notes for Blount County
- Gregg Armstrong is the Blount County Revenue Commissioner. The office collects property tax and runs the tax lien auction; there is no separate tax collector office.
- Blount County operates under Alabama's tax lien auction regime (Title 40, Chapter 10, Article 7), the elective alternative to the older tax sale and tax deed track.
- Main courthouse office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Direct property tax and manufactured homes line is 205-973-0589; appraisal and mapping is 205-973-0535.
- A satellite office operates at 306 2nd Ave, Hayden, AL 35079, phone 205-973-8332, Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, closed 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm.
- Ingenuity Auctions listed a prior "Blount - 2025" auction with 103 available properties, indicating the county has used this platform in consecutive years.
- The county page notes that neither the Revenue Commissioner's office nor the auction host can give legal advice on purchasing tax delinquent property and recommends consulting an attorney.
- The delinquent listing table was empty at the time of research, which is normal outside the pre-sale advertising window; check back closer to the sale.
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 Blount County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Blount County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Blount County tax certificate sale?
- Annual online tax lien auction in late March. The county page states: "The 2026 Blount County Tax Lien Auction and Sale will be held online on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 9:00 am CST.". 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 Blount 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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