Cleburne County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Cleburne County, seat of Heflin: 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 Cleburne County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Cleburne County Revenue Commissioner
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- First Tuesday in May, 10:00 a.m. The county's 2026 notice states: "A Tax Lien Auction will be held Tuesday May 5, 2026 at 10:00 a.m." and "THE CLEBURNE COUNTY PROPERTY TAX LIEN AUCTION WILL BEGIN TUESDAY MAY 5, 2026 AT 10:00 A.M THROUGH 4:30 P.M. AND CONTINUING EACH DAY UNTIL ALL TAX LIENS HAVE BEEN SOLD." The prior year's notice used the same pattern (Tuesday May 6, 2025). The Revenue Commissioner's site lists "Annual Tax Sale of ALL UNPAID Parcels 1st Tuesday in May," and the county calendar shows "April | Admin Fee Added to Delinquent Parcels" then "May | Delinquent Parcels Advertised for Tax Lien Sale" and "May | Tax Lien Sale."
- 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 registration portal, bidder pre-registration deadline, or deposit requirement. Bidders attend in person at the courthouse steps. The notice lists accepted payment types as "Cashier's Check, Money Order, Visa, MasterCard, & Discover, Debit-Cash," with a convenience fee on all credit and debit payments. Confirm current bidder procedure with the Revenue Commissioner's office at 256-463-2873 before the sale.
Cleburne County runs a tax lien auction under Article 7, not a tax deed sale. The auction is conducted IN PERSON: "The auction will be conducted on the Cleburne County Courthouse Steps located at 120 Vickery Street Heflin, AL." No online bidding platform is used. The Cleburne County Citizen Access portal (https://cleburne.capturecama.com/) is a property records and online payment site, not a bidding platform; the county directs bidders there to view "The Delinquent Real Property Parcels subject to being sold at the Tax Lien Auction." A listing is also posted in the courthouse, and a paper copy is available in the Revenue Commissioner's office in Room 102. Advertising ran on the county website March 20, March 27 and April 3 ahead of the May 2026 sale. Property tax is due each October 1 and delinquent after December 31; past due accounts take a $5.00 penalty and accrue interest at 12% annually, compounded daily, from January 1. Accounts stay out of the auction only if paid by 4:30 p.m. the day before the sale. The 2026 notice adds "a $45 Administrative Fee included on each parcel"; the 2025 notice instead itemized a $20.00 Tax Lien Origination fee, a $20.00 Tax Lien Auction Fee and a $5.00 Lien Certificate Fee. Note that the legacy office domain cleburnerevenue.com is stale (its homepage still shows the 2023 auction notice and carries injected third-party spam links); treat cleburnecountyal.com/revenue-commission as the current official source. Because the advertisement PDF is year-stamped, re-check the "Tax Lien Sale" link on the county Revenue Commission page each spring for the current list. In person, Cleburne County Courthouse steps
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)
Notes for Cleburne County
- Revenue Commissioner: Joyce R. Fuller. Chief Clerk: Donna Taylor.
- Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Secondary phone 256-463-5419; fax 256-463-7780; email [email protected].
- Sale venue and office share the same address: Cleburne County Courthouse, 120 Vickery Street, Heflin.
- Assessment classes cited by the county: Class III owner-occupied residence at 10% of fair market value; Class II vacant land or non-owner-occupied at 20%.
- The auction runs 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and continues each day until all tax liens are sold, so a single sale can span multiple days.
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 Cleburne County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Cleburne County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Cleburne County tax certificate sale?
- First Tuesday in May, 10:00 a.m. The county's 2026 notice states: "A Tax Lien Auction will be held Tuesday May 5, 2026 at 10:00 a.m." and "THE CLEBURNE COUNTY PROPERTY TAX LIEN AUCTION WILL BEGIN TUESDAY MAY 5, 2026 AT 10:00 A.M THROUGH 4:30 P.M. AND CONTINUING EACH DAY UNTIL ALL TAX LIENS HAVE BEEN SOLD." The prior year's notice used the same pattern (Tuesday May 6, 2025). The Revenue Commissioner's site lists "Annual Tax Sale of ALL UNPAID Parcels 1st Tuesday in May," and the county calendar shows "April | Admin Fee Added to Delinquent Parcels" then "May | Delinquent Parcels Advertised for Tax Lien Sale" and "May | Tax Lien Sale.". 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 Cleburne 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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