Cherokee County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Cherokee County, seat of Centre: 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 Cherokee County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Cherokee County Revenue Commissioner's Office (the county Tax Collecting Official under Title 40, Chapter 10, Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 40-10-180 through 40-10-200)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual tax lien auction held in late April or early May. The county's published notice reads "DATE OF SALE: Thursday, April 30, 2026, 10:00am", and the FAQ states the "Auction starts at 10:00 AM (CST) and will continue until 5:00 PM (CST)." The county's older process document records the prior sale date as May 1st, 2019, confirming the recurring spring window.
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Register online at govease.com. For the 2026 sale the county notice states "Registration opens 3/30/26", and the FAQ gives "March 30, 2026 at 8:30am CST, at govease.com." GovEase requires new bidders to create a bidder profile through the GovEase Auction Portal and to electronically submit county-specific registration documents, including a W-9, to the county through the portal. Pre-bidding opens 4/29/2026 at 8:30am CST; bidders may also bid live. Each lien stays open 30 seconds, with automatic extension if a bid lands in the final 10 seconds. Bidding is a bid-down of the interest rate starting at 12% in 1% increments, lowest rate wins. Full payment was due by 4:00pm CST on May 8, 2026. In-person payment accepted by cash, check, certified funds, or credit card; mailed payment by check or certified funds. Fees are a $20 origination fee, a $20 auction fee, and a $5.00 tax auction certificate fee.
Cherokee County runs the Article 7 tax lien auction regime, not a tax deed sale. The auction is fully online through GovEase.com, so there is no in-person courthouse bidding. The FAQ states the property list is published "After March 1st each year" on "The Cherokee County Revenue Commissioner's Website, Cherokeepropertytax.com", and the list carries owner names, property descriptions, delinquent years, and taxes owed plus interest, penalties, fees, and costs. The site has no standing list page; the county posts the annual auction notice PDF and the parcel detail is viewed inside GovEase. Prior-year certificate holders get a first right to the subsequent delinquency at the same rate: First Rights Claims letters went out the week of March 16, 2026 and stayed open until 4/29/26. Tax lien certificates are mailed within 10 business days of the close of the auction. Redemption runs through the Revenue Commissioner's office at the certificate rate plus a $10 redemption fee (§ 40-10-193). Under § 40-10-199 the Tax Collecting official may sell an unsold lien at private sale within 45 days of the auction at a negotiated rate not exceeding 12%, and unsold liens roll into future auctions. Note the county's 2022-era process PDF still describes the older in-person, read-aloud bidding format with card-draw tie-breaks; that has been superseded by the online GovEase auction, and GovEase resolves 0% ties by random generator. Separately, older state-held "sold to state" inventory is bought from the Alabama Department of Revenue Property Tax Division by price-quote application, not at the county auction. As of July 2026 the April 30, 2026 sale has passed; expect the next auction in spring 2027 and confirm dates against the county site.
Register on GovEaseFrom 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)
Cherokee County Revenue Commissioner's Office
Cherokee County Administrative Building, 260 Cedar Bluff Rd., Suite 102, Centre, AL 35960
Official websiteNotes for Cherokee County
- Revenue Commissioner is Dustin St. Clair, ACTA. Office hours are Mon.-Fri. 8am-4pm. Secondary phone 256-927-5528; vehicle tag line 256-927-3654; email [email protected].
- Cherokee County elected the tax lien auction regime under Article 7 rather than the older tax sale regime. Its process document cites Title 40, Chapter 10, Code of Ala. 1975 (§ 40-10-180 through 200) as the authority for the Tax Collecting official to auction and sell tax liens.
- Real property taxes are due October 1 and become delinquent if not paid before January 1 following. At least 30 days before the auction the county mails notice to each delinquent taxpayer and advertises on its website and in the local newspaper.
- Bidding is a bid-down of interest starting at 12% per annum in 1% increments to a 0% floor. The lowest rate at the end of the 30-second window wins.
- The county tax site (cherokeepropertytax.com) has no dedicated delinquent-list page. The sitemap shows only the FAQ and process pages plus an annual auction-notice PDF; parcel-level data is inside GovEase.
- The homepage also links an annual "Property Insolvent Listing" PDF (2025-2026 at /wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2025-2026-Insolvent-Property.pdf). That document lists insolvent real and personal property accounts, mostly business personal property, and is not the tax lien auction list.
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 Cherokee County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Cherokee County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Cherokee County tax certificate sale?
- Annual tax lien auction held in late April or early May. The county's published notice reads "DATE OF SALE: Thursday, April 30, 2026, 10:00am", and the FAQ states the "Auction starts at 10:00 AM (CST) and will continue until 5:00 PM (CST)." The county's older process document records the prior sale date as May 1st, 2019, confirming the recurring spring window.. 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 Cherokee 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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