Geneva County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Geneva County, seat of Geneva: 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 Geneva County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Geneva County Revenue Office, Mary Ann Ellison, Revenue Commissioner and tax collecting official
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The Revenue Office has not posted a date for its tax lien auction. Its last published sales ran in early May at 10:00 am at the courthouse. The archived Revenue Office news page carries an "Annual Tax Sale (May 2, 2023 @ 10:00am)" notice, and the office's Tax Sale Info page still shows an older notice reading "our 2018 Property Tax Sale has been postponed to MAY 7th, 2019 at 10:00 am at the Courthouse." Both predate the county's move to a tax lien auction, so confirm the current date with the Revenue Office at (334) 684-5650 before planning around it.
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
No registration instructions for the tax lien auction are published on the county site. The last published instructions covered the earlier in person property tax sale: "Please arrive at 9:00am to register," bring a bank line of credit or cash, and opening bids begin at the amount due and increase in $100 increments. An older notice asked bidders to "arrive at 9:00 am to register and bring a letter of credit." The archived notice directs bidders to call (334) 684-5650 for registration instructions. Call the Revenue Office to confirm the current process, deposit, and whether the auction is online or at the courthouse.
Geneva County switched collection methods. On its Revenue Office news page the tax collecting official states: "As the tax collecting official for Geneva County, please accept this notice as a declaration of my intentions to conduct a Tax Lien Auction and Sale for the collection of delinquent taxes for the year 2023-2024 forward," citing Title 40-10-180(b) Code of Alabama, with the notice advertised once a week for three consecutive weeks prior to October 1, 2023. The county publishes no auction platform, no bidder portal, and no current sale date. Its last documented sales were held in person at the Geneva County Courthouse, 200 N. Commerce Street, so treat the auction as in person unless the office says otherwise. The Tax Sale Info page says "When a property is up for sale, it will be posted here," but carries no current list. Parcels from earlier sales that went to the state are bought from the Alabama Department of Revenue Property Tax Division by price quote, not from the county; the linked county transcript of state held land is updated weekly and does not include physical addresses. Verify everything by phone before bidding.
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)
Geneva County Courthouse, 200 N. Commerce Street, P.O. Box 326, Geneva, AL 36340
Official websiteNotes for Geneva County
- Geneva County declared its intent to run a tax lien auction under Title 40-10-180(b) Code of Alabama for delinquent taxes for the year 2023-2024 forward, so the county sells liens rather than the land itself.
- The Revenue Office is the tax collecting official for the county. Mary Ann Ellison signs the tax lien auction notice; her direct line is (334) 684-5651 and the office lines are (334) 684-5650 and (334) 684-5602. Office hours are listed as Mon-Thur (7am-6pm).
- Taxes are due and payable each year on October 1 and become delinquent January 1, per the Revenue Office general information page.
- The county's Tax Sale Info page is out of date. It still displays a notice about the 2018 property tax sale being postponed to May 7, 2019, so do not treat any date on that page as current.
- No online auction platform is published for Geneva County. Past sales were conducted in person at the Geneva County Courthouse at 10:00 am, with bidder registration starting at 9:00 am.
- The Revenue Office posts updated paid property lists to its Facebook page, and directs bidders to call (334) 684-5650 to confirm a parcel is still available before the sale.
- Property already sold to the state appears on the Alabama Department of Revenue's weekly Geneva County transcript and is purchased by submitting an electronic price quote application to the state, with payment due within 10 calendar days of the quote date.
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 Geneva County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Geneva County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Geneva County tax certificate sale?
- The Revenue Office has not posted a date for its tax lien auction. Its last published sales ran in early May at 10:00 am at the courthouse. The archived Revenue Office news page carries an "Annual Tax Sale (May 2, 2023 @ 10:00am)" notice, and the office's Tax Sale Info page still shows an older notice reading "our 2018 Property Tax Sale has been postponed to MAY 7th, 2019 at 10:00 am at the Courthouse." Both predate the county's move to a tax lien auction, so confirm the current date with the Revenue Office at (334) 684-5650 before planning around it.. 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 Geneva 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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