Montgomery County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Montgomery County, seat of Montgomery: 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 Montgomery County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Montgomery County Revenue Commissioner (Tax Collections), Janet Buskey
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The office publishes no fixed calendar date. Its Tax Collections page states "Tax sales are held annually for all unpaid tax properties" and that "Properties are for sale in front of courthouse in a public outcry auction, usually beginning at 10:00 A.M., on the day specified in the Notice of Sale." The same page states properties "are advertised in the local newspaper, the Montgomery Independent, for three weeks prior to the sale date," so the Notice of Sale advertisement is the authoritative date announcement. Confirm the current year date with the office at (334) 832-1250.
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
No online registration or pre-registration is described. The office page states "Anyone wishing to purchase must appear in person - and if there are bids property interest goes to the highest bidder," and "Purchasers may pay by certified check or cash the day of the sale." Buyers get a paid receipt at purchase, then a certificate of purchase after five business days. For parcels that went unsold and are now state held, buyers apply to the Alabama Department of Revenue rather than to the county.
Montgomery County runs the older Article 1 probate court tax sale, not an online Article 7 tax lien auction. This is the county election allowed by Section 40-10-180. The sale is live and in person at the courthouse, so there is no bidding platform and no online portal. The Revenue Commissioner's Citizen Access Portal exposes no tax lien auction module. Per the office page, buyers acquire only the tax interest, not fee simple title, and receive a certificate of purchase rather than a tax deed. The office page states the owner may redeem through the Revenue Commissioner's Office at any time within the first three years, and that a tax deed cannot be issued until three years from the sale date, at which point the purchaser surrenders the certificate to the Judge of Probate. Parcels drawing no bid revert to the State of Alabama. To buy the tax interest on those, apply to the Alabama Department of Revenue Ad Valorem Tax Division, Post Office Box 327210, Montgomery, Alabama 36132-7210. The state accepts only certified checks. The Department of Revenue price quote system gives buyers 10 calendar days from the quote date to pay, and issues an assignment of certificate if the state has held the certificate under three years or a tax deed if over three years. In person, public outcry auction in front of the courthouse
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)
Montgomery County Revenue Commissioner
P.O. Box 1667, Montgomery, AL 36102-1667 (office at 101 S. Lawrence St., Montgomery, AL 36104)
Official websiteNotes for Montgomery County
- Office hours listed as 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Property taxes are due October 1 and become delinquent January 1, with interest accruing at 1 percent per month plus additional delinquent charges after January 1.
- The county's own mc-ala.org Revenue Commissioner and Property Tax pages both redirect to the Citizen Access Portal at montgomery.capturecama.com, which is the operating website for the office.
- The county listed the redemption interest rate as 8 percent per year (0.66 percent per month) on its Tax Collections page. Verify against the current statute before publishing any rate for this county, since it sits in the Article 1 tax sale track rather than the Article 7 lien auction track covered by the state defaults.
- Checks are made payable to Janet Buskey, Revenue Commissioner.
- The Alabama Department of Revenue county transcripts are updated weekly and do not contain the physical address of the 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 Montgomery County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Montgomery County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Montgomery County tax certificate sale?
- The office publishes no fixed calendar date. Its Tax Collections page states "Tax sales are held annually for all unpaid tax properties" and that "Properties are for sale in front of courthouse in a public outcry auction, usually beginning at 10:00 A.M., on the day specified in the Notice of Sale." The same page states properties "are advertised in the local newspaper, the Montgomery Independent, for three weeks prior to the sale date," so the Notice of Sale advertisement is the authoritative date announcement. Confirm the current year date with the office at (334) 832-1250.. 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 Montgomery 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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