Clay County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Clay County, seat of Ashland: 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 Clay County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Clay County Revenue Commissioner (Ronald Robertson), the county's tax collecting official
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- May. The Revenue Commissioner's "Important Dates to Remember" list reads "April...Advertised on County Website" and "May...Tax Lien Auction". The county's published legal notice for the most recent cycle reads "TAX LIEN SALE FOR THE 2024 TAX YEAR / MAY 1, 2025 @ 10:00 A.M. @ THE COURTHOUSE IN ASHLAND, AL". Taxes go delinquent January 1, court notices go out in February, and the list is advertised in April.
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
The county publishes no online bidder registration process. Bidding is conducted in person at the courthouse in Ashland at 10:00 a.m. on the sale date. The notice states the Revenue Commissioner notifies delinquent taxpayers by first class mail and advertises the auction to the public, with the list posted on www.claycountyrevenue.com and at the courthouse. Confirm bidder requirements with the Revenue Commissioner's office at 256-354-2454 before the sale.
Clay County elected the tax lien auction regime under Code of Alabama Title 40-10-180 through 200. The Revenue Commissioner's posted notice declares "my intentions to conduct a Tax Lien Auction and Sale for the collection of delinquent taxes for the year 2023 - 2024 forward." The sale runs live at the courthouse, not through GovEase, RealAuction, Bid4Assets or any other online portal, so plan to attend in person or send a representative. The sale list is a PDF linked from the Revenue Commissioner's News page and is replaced each cycle; the version on the site covers the 2024 tax year (144 parcels advertised). No 2026 notice was posted on the county site at the time of research, so verify the current year's date with the office. In person at the Clay County Courthouse, Ashland (no online auction platform)
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)
Clay County Revenue Commissioner
25 Courthouse Square, Ashland, AL 36251 (mailing: P.O. Box 155, Ashland, AL 36251)
Official websiteNotes for Clay County
- Clay County sells tax liens, not tax deeds, under Code of Alabama Title 40-10-180 through 200. The Revenue Commissioner posted the required election notice declaring a Tax Lien Auction and Sale for delinquent taxes from the 2023-2024 year forward.
- The auction is live at the Clay County Courthouse in Ashland at 10:00 a.m. There is no online bidding platform, so bidders must appear in person.
- Calendar published by the office: real property taxes due October 1, delinquent January 1, court notices mailed in February, list advertised on the county website in April, tax lien auction in May.
- Interest accrues at 12% per annum on delinquent real estate taxes according to the Revenue Commissioner's property tax page.
- The sale list PDF is linked from the office's News page under "Tax Lien Sale List" and is swapped out each cycle; the posted version covers the 2024 tax year with 144 advertised parcels.
- Third-party aggregators list this sale, but they are courtesy notices only. The Revenue Commissioner's own notice and list are the authoritative source.
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 Clay County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Clay County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Clay County tax certificate sale?
- May. The Revenue Commissioner's "Important Dates to Remember" list reads "April...Advertised on County Website" and "May...Tax Lien Auction". The county's published legal notice for the most recent cycle reads "TAX LIEN SALE FOR THE 2024 TAX YEAR / MAY 1, 2025 @ 10:00 A.M. @ THE COURTHOUSE IN ASHLAND, AL". Taxes go delinquent January 1, court notices go out in February, and the list is advertised in April.. 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 Clay 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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