Marshall County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Marshall County, seat of Guntersville: 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 Marshall County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Marshall County Revenue Commissioner
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- May. The Revenue Commissioner's property tax information page lists "First Tuesday of May (normally): annual tax lien auction." The same calendar says trackable delinquent notices go out in March "advising of the next tax lien auction."
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
The Revenue Commissioner's site publishes no bidder registration instructions, deposit amount, or auction platform. Call (256) 571-7743 or email [email protected] for the registration window and to confirm whether the auction runs online or in person. State-held tax delinquent property is a separate path handled by the Alabama Department of Revenue rather than the county: submit an electronic application for a price quote, receive the quote by email, and remit payment within 10 calendar days of the date on the quote. Parcels held under three years produce an assignment of certificate and parcels held over three years produce a tax deed, and neither conveys clear title.
Marshall County is on Alabama's tax lien auction method. The Revenue Commissioner publishes a tax calendar but no dedicated tax lien auction page, no bidder packet, and no parcel list. The calendar sets the auction on the first Tuesday of May in a normal year, with delinquent notices mailed in January and again in March. No auction platform is named on any county page, so treat the venue as unconfirmed and verify the date, the platform, and the registration deadline with the office before planning around it.
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)
Marshall County Revenue Commissioner
Marshall County Courthouse, 424 Blount Ave., Suite 124, Guntersville, AL 35976
Official websiteNotes for Marshall County
- Michael Johnson is the Revenue Commissioner. The office works two locations: the courthouse office at 424 Blount Ave., Suite 124, Guntersville, and an office at 412 Martling Rd., Albertville, AL 35951. Email is [email protected].
- The Alabama Department of Revenue transcript of tax delinquent land available for sale for Marshall County returned a header with no parcel rows on the 07/20/2026 run, so the state held no listed inventory for the county at that time. That is consistent with a county on the Article 7 tax lien auction method, where liens rather than land are sold.
- Parcel research runs through the county's online property search at https://marshall.countygovservices.com/property/Property/Search, linked from the Revenue Commissioner's GIS and property searches page.
- The county calendar also sets January 1 as the delinquency date, with delinquent tax fees plus 12 percent per annum interest, and February 28 as the last day to pay by check before certified funds are required.
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 Marshall County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Marshall County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Marshall County tax certificate sale?
- May. The Revenue Commissioner's property tax information page lists "First Tuesday of May (normally): annual tax lien auction." The same calendar says trackable delinquent notices go out in March "advising of the next tax lien auction.". 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 Marshall 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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