Marengo County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Marengo County, seat of Linden: 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 Marengo County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Marengo County Revenue Commission (Revenue Commissioner Sharon B. Hilbish)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- May each year. The county states: "The annual tax lien auction for unpaid 2025 ad valorem property tax will be held Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. on the GovEase website, www.govease.com." The county FAQ lists the recurring schedule as "Date: May of each year" and "Time: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (CST) daily until complete."
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Bidding is online only through GovEase. The county states: "All potential bidders must pre-register to participate. Registration will begin April 2, 2026 to bidders and 1st rights option to pay." Bidders create an account and register at www.govease.com; the county FAQ says registration opens 3 to 4 weeks before the auction. Bidding is a reverse auction on interest, awarded to the lowest rate accepted starting at 12 percent, with each lien held open 30 seconds and 10-second extensions for late bids. Payment is due within one hour after the final auction close by debit or credit card, cash, or certified funds, plus a $20 origination fee, a $20 auction fee, and a $5 certificate fee. GovEase offers bidder training webinars at www.govease.com/bidderhelp, with support at [email protected] or (769) 208-5050 ext. 2.
Marengo County uses Alabama's tax lien auction method and runs the sale online through GovEase, not in person at the courthouse. The auction covers the prior year's unpaid ad valorem taxes, so the 2026 sale addresses unpaid 2025 taxes. Per the county FAQ, parcel lists appear at least 30 days before the sale on GovEase.com and marengocountyal.com, and the county GIS map can be filtered to "Delinquent Tax Parcels Only" (the GIS site at alabamagis.com/marengo returned a server error when checked on 2026-07-25, so use the county page and GovEase for the list). Taxes go delinquent after December 31 each year, and the county stops accepting personal and business checks after February 28. Delinquent payoff amounts change monthly as interest and fees accrue, so confirm the current figure with the Revenue Commission before paying or bidding.
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
Notes for Marengo County
- County seat is Linden; the Revenue Commission sits in the Marengo County Courthouse at 101 E. Coats Ave.
- The Alabama Department of Revenue county-offices directory lists the Revenue Commission line as 334-295-2214 and fax 334-295-2273; the county tax lien FAQ lists the courthouse main line as (334) 295-2200.
- The county's online portal at altags.com/marengo_revenue offers View/Pay Property Taxes and is where the county tax lien page points for current delinquent amounts.
- No separate tax deed auction: as a tax lien auction county under Ala. Code Article 7, title passes only through a circuit court action to foreclose the right to redeem and quiet title.
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 Marengo County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Marengo County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Marengo County tax certificate sale?
- May each year. The county states: "The annual tax lien auction for unpaid 2025 ad valorem property tax will be held Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. on the GovEase website, www.govease.com." The county FAQ lists the recurring schedule as "Date: May of each year" and "Time: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (CST) daily until complete.". 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 Marengo 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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