Madison County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Madison County, seat of Huntsville: 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 Madison County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Madison County Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- First week of May each year. The county tax sale page states: "First Week of May each year-Tax Lien Sale & Auction-Online Only". The Important Dates page repeats it: "May - Annual Tax Lein Sale and Auction will be held first week of May. Online only".
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
- Sale list
- Delinquent Property Tax List
Registration and deposit
Registration is required before the online sale and opens 30 days prior to the auction. The county states: "Registration is required prior to the online sale. Registration begins 30 days prior to Auction. The registration requirements and application is posted on GovEase.com." All registrations and requirements are submitted online at GovEase.com for approval before any bidding, and each approved bidder is assigned a bidder number.
Auction is online only through GovEase. Bids are awarded on the lowest interest rate bid: the maximum bid is 12% simple interest per annum prorated monthly and the lowest acceptable bid is 0% per annum. The winning bidder pays the entire amount of taxes, interest, fees, penalties and costs by cash, certified funds or wire no later than one hour before close of business on auction day; the page also gives a 4:00 pm payment deadline. Credit cards are not accepted. A Certificate of Tax Lien is mailed after the sale is finalized. Interest starts accruing the first day after the auction and stops on the day of redemption. Liens may be recorded in the probate office. All sales are final.
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)
Madison County Service Center, 1918 Memorial Parkway NW, Huntsville, AL 35801
Official websiteNotes for Madison County
- Madison County runs the tax lien auction regime, not the older tax deed sale. The Tax Collector's published notice states: "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 2021 - 2022 forward. Title 40-10-180 ( c ) Code of Alabama requires that this notice be advertised once a week for three consecutive weeks, prior to October 1, 2021".
- The certificate holder gets first right of refusal to purchase the lien on the same property at the same interest rate the following year if the parcel goes delinquent again.
- If a lien is not redeemed and the purchaser fails to commence a foreclosure action within ten years of the purchase date, the certificate of purchase expires and the lien is void (Act 2018-577).
- Payment deadlines shift earlier in the year: December 31 is the last day to pay without penalty, January 1 taxes are delinquent, final real estate delinquent notices mail the first week of February, and after March 31 only certified checks or cash are accepted for real estate payments.
- The county's Delinquent Parcels listing at madisonproperty.countygovservices.com returned HTTP 200 when checked on 2026-07-25 but displayed "The Delinquent Parcels listing is currently disabled", which is expected outside the February to May delinquent window. Treat it as the seasonal list URL, not a year-round dataset.
- The tax collecting official is Valerie Miles. Office email is [email protected] and the fax is (256) 532-3368. Service Center hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
- The county mails paper payments to Madison County Tax Collector, 1918 Memorial Parkway NW, Huntsville, AL 35801. The Madison County Courthouse at 100 North Side Square, Huntsville, AL 35801 is the county's other public counter location.
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 Madison County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Madison County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Madison County tax certificate sale?
- First week of May each year. The county tax sale page states: "First Week of May each year-Tax Lien Sale & Auction-Online Only". The Important Dates page repeats it: "May - Annual Tax Lein Sale and Auction will be held first week of May. Online only".. 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 Madison 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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