Lamar County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Lamar County, seat of Vernon: 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 Lamar County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Lamar County Revenue Commissioner's Office (Lamar County Revenue Office), Pam Duncan, Revenue Commissioner
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Not published. The county Revenue page shows only the heading "Lamar County Revenue Office", "PAM DUNCAN, REVENUE COMMISSIONER", the phone "205-695-9139", and a "Pay Land Taxes" link. It carries no sale date, no sale notice, and no auction calendar. Call the Revenue Office at 205-695-9139 to confirm the current year's date.
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Not published on any county page. The Lamar County site has no bidder registration form, deposit terms, bid increment, or auction platform link, so confirm registration directly with the Revenue Commissioner's Office before the sale. Separately, tax delinquent land already held by the state is bought through the Alabama Department of Revenue Property Tax Division: submit an electronic application to request a price quote, then remit payment postmarked within "10 calendar days from the date on the price quote". A certificate assignment is issued if the state has held the certificate under three years and a tax deed if over three years, and neither conveys clear title.
Lamar County property tax collection runs through the Lamar County Revenue Office under Revenue Commissioner Pam Duncan. As of July 2026 the county publishes no tax lien or certificate sale page at all. Its Revenue page lists the commissioner, the office phone, and an outbound link to an online property tax payment portal, with no sale notice, no bidder registration, no delinquent list, and no auction platform. Because no platform is posted anywhere on an official county source, treat both the sale format and any online platform as unconfirmed and verify by phone. The only official Lamar County list found is the Alabama Department of Revenue transcript of state held tax delinquent land, and the copy dated 07/20/2026 contains the header only, with no parcel rows, so the state held inventory for Lamar was empty at that date.
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 Lamar County
- The official county site lamarcountyal.gov publishes 19 pages and none of them covers tax lien sales, delinquent tax lists, sale notices, or bidder registration. Revenue is the only tax related department page, and a site search for tax lien returns no results.
- Office name, mailing address, and phone come from the Lamar County public GIS header, which reads "Pam Duncan, Revenue Commissioner", "PO Box 1170, Vernon AL 35592", "Phone (205) 695-9139". The county's own Revenue page lists the same commissioner and the same phone number.
- The Revenue page's only outbound tax link is "Pay Land Taxes" to payyourpropertytax.com/lamar/la, an IMS Enterprises payment portal for current year bills. That portal shows no delinquent list, no sale notice, and no auction function.
- The Alabama Department of Revenue Property Tax Division publishes a per county transcript of tax delinquent land available for sale, updated weekly and without physical addresses. The Lamar County transcript dated 07/20/2026 contains only the header line and no parcel rows.
- The GovEase live and upcoming auction list checked in July 2026 showed no Alabama counties, which is expected outside Alabama's spring sale window, so that check neither confirms nor rules out a platform for Lamar County.
- No county specific sale page was found, so the sale format, date, platform, and registration terms below the state default are unverified for Lamar County. Confirm with the Revenue Commissioner's Office before budgeting for a bid.
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 Lamar County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Lamar County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Lamar County tax certificate sale?
- Not published. The county Revenue page shows only the heading "Lamar County Revenue Office", "PAM DUNCAN, REVENUE COMMISSIONER", the phone "205-695-9139", and a "Pay Land Taxes" link. It carries no sale date, no sale notice, and no auction calendar. Call the Revenue Office at 205-695-9139 to confirm the current year's date.. 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 Lamar 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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