Covington County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Covington County, seat of Andalusia: 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 Covington County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Covington County Revenue Commission (Revenue Commissioner, George L. Patterson Jr.)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Mid-May, online. The Revenue Commissioner page states: "Tax Lien Sale will take place May 18, 2026 through www.govease.com". The office declaration reads: "George L. Patterson, Jr., as the Revenue Commissioner and tax collecting official for Covington County, does hereby declare and give notice that the Covington County Revenue Commission will conduct a Tax Lien Auction for the collection of delinquent property taxes for the year 2023-2024 forward."
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Register through the GovEase bidder portal. Per GovEase's Alabama overview, "all new bidders must create a bidder profile through the GovEase Auction Portal", then add the county auction, and "electronically submit county-specific registration documents to the county via the GovEase Auction Portal". Approval to bid comes from the county tax office, not GovEase. Bidding is a reverse interest auction: "bid you place is the lowest interest per annum you are willing to accept", starting at a 12% maximum and stepping down in 1% increments. Registration, pre-bid, and live bid windows are set by the county tax office. GovEase notes "ALL payments and payment arrangements MUST be made through the county tax office".
Covington County sells tax liens rather than tax deeds, and runs the auction online through GovEase rather than in person at the courthouse. The Revenue Commissioner page carries a "CLICK HERE FOR DELINQUENT PROPERTY TAX LIST" link into the county AlertCenter; that alert URL returned HTTP 404 when checked on 2026-07-25, so the list appears to be posted seasonally around each auction cycle. Confirm the current list and the next auction date with the office before relying on it. Parcel research is available through the county's Alabama Flagship GIS page linked from the same site. Liens the county does not sell roll into the state-held "sold to state" inventory, bought by price quote from the Alabama Department of Revenue Property Tax Division: "You may request a price quote for state-held tax delinquent property by submitting an electronic application", with payment due within "10 calendar days from the date on the price quote".
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)
Notes for Covington County
- Revenue Commissioner: George L. Patterson Jr. (Chuck). Office hours listed as Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, closed on county commission holidays.
- Office fax listed as 334-428-2575. A direct line for the Revenue Commissioner, 334-428-2546, is published on the county site.
- The county's tax lien auction covers delinquent taxes "for the year 2023-2024 forward" per the Revenue Commissioner's published declaration.
- Property tax payments and parcel lookup run through the county's third-party portal at altags.com/covington_revenue, linked from the Revenue Commissioner page.
- The GovEase auctions listing page loaded but did not expose a per-county schedule to an unauthenticated fetch, so the May 18, 2026 date is sourced from the county's own page.
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 Covington County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Covington County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Covington County tax certificate sale?
- Mid-May, online. The Revenue Commissioner page states: "Tax Lien Sale will take place May 18, 2026 through www.govease.com". The office declaration reads: "George L. Patterson, Jr., as the Revenue Commissioner and tax collecting official for Covington County, does hereby declare and give notice that the Covington County Revenue Commission will conduct a Tax Lien Auction for the collection of delinquent property taxes for the year 2023-2024 forward.". 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 Covington 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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