Lauderdale County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Lauderdale County, seat of Florence: 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 Lauderdale County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Lauderdale County Revenue Commissioner's Office (Billy Hammock, Revenue Commissioner)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual tax lien auction held in May. The county's Property Taxes FAQs give the calendar as "October 1 Tax Due, January 1 Tax Delinquent, April Advertised for Sale, May Tax Sale." The county's Delinquent Tax Listing states "Tax Lien Auction Date: 5/5/2026 at 10:00 AM CST at govease.com" for the 2025 tax year.
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Bidding runs through GovEase. Create a GovEase account at govease.com using Sign Up / Log In, then choose Register / Add Auctions under My Account and click Register beside Lauderdale County. Complete and electronically sign the registration documents for each county separately, including a W-9, and upload any additional documents the system requests. The county tax office approves each registration, and GovEase notes that some counties also require a deposit before approval. GovEase advises that for most counties all payments and payment arrangements are handled by the county tax office rather than on the platform.
Lauderdale County uses the Article 7 tax lien auction regime, not the older tax sale regime. Its published notice reads: "IN ACCORDANCE WITH CODE OF ALABAMA TITLE 40-10-182, THIS NOTICE IS TO INFORM YOU OF A TAX LIEN AUCTION FOR THE 2025 TAX YEAR. PER 40-10-184, A TAX LIEN SOLD AT AUCTION PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE SHALL INCLUDE AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE OF FORTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($45), EFFECTIVE UPON THE PREPARATION OF THE TAX LIEN AUCTION LIST." The auction is online, not in person. GovEase describes the Alabama format as bid-down interest: bidding opens at a 12% annual maximum and steps down in 1% increments to a 0% floor, with the lowest interest rate winning. Auctions begin and end each day at times the county tax office sets and continue the next business day until every parcel has been offered. Parcels that were sold to the state in earlier years are handled separately by the Alabama Department of Revenue Property Tax Division, which publishes weekly-updated county transcripts of state-held inventory and sells by emailed price quote with payment due within 10 calendar days.
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 Lauderdale County
- The 2025 tax year auction list published by the county carried roughly 70 delinquent parcels, so the Lauderdale sale is small relative to Alabama's metro counties.
- The Revenue Commissioner's office publishes department direct lines alongside the main number: Appraisal (256) 760-5780, Business Personal Property (256) 760-5781, Mapping (256) 760-5782.
- The county page lists a mailing address only. No street address for the Revenue Commissioner's office was published on the pages reviewed, so investors mailing redemption or payment documents should confirm the physical counter location by phone.
- The delinquent listing is hosted on altags.com under the county's lauderdale_revenue path, the same vendor portal the county links for its other online revenue services.
- The Alabama Department of Revenue warns that neither an assignment nor a tax deed on state-held property conveys clear title, and recommends counsel before buying tax delinquent property.
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 Lauderdale County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Lauderdale County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Lauderdale County tax certificate sale?
- Annual tax lien auction held in May. The county's Property Taxes FAQs give the calendar as "October 1 Tax Due, January 1 Tax Delinquent, April Advertised for Sale, May Tax Sale." The county's Delinquent Tax Listing states "Tax Lien Auction Date: 5/5/2026 at 10:00 AM CST at govease.com" for the 2025 tax year.. 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 Lauderdale 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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