Morgan County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Morgan County, seat of Decatur: 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 Morgan County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Morgan County Revenue Commissioner
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Each May, conducted online. The county tax sale page states: "Each May, tax delinquent property is auctioned off at the Morgan County Courthouse to the highest bidder. Tax sale property is advertised during the month of April." For the most recent cycle the page states: "The 2026 Tax Lien Sale for the 2025 tax year will begin at 10:00 AM Tuesday, May 12, 2026, and will be conducted online." The published delinquent notice repeats the date: "WILL SELL ON TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026, AT 10:00 AM PURSUANT TO THE CODE OF ALABAMA 40-10-182 AND ACT 2018-57." The GovEase flyer lists the start time as "May 12th, 2026 at 10:00 AM Central."
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Bidders register through GovEase before the auction. The county flyer states registration "will begin on April 10th, 2026 and it will close on May 12th," and instructs: "You can create an account and register by visiting www.govease.com. You must create an account and then complete the online registration documents before you can be approved to bid." The flyer points sign-up to liveauctions.govease.com/Bidder/UserProfile and free training videos to www.govease.com/bidderhelp. The Revenue Commissioner also links bidders to GovEase bidder help and training at https://www.govease.com/bidder-help-and-training.
Morgan County sells tax LIENS, not deeds. The Revenue Commissioner formally elected the tax lien method: a published notice signed by Amanda G. Scott, CPA and dated September 1, 2020 states she "has chosen to utilize the sale of tax lien method for collecting delinquent property taxes" under her sole authority in Ala. Code 40-10-180 (1975). The sale is run online through GovEase, so there is no in-person courthouse bidding for the lien auction. The county warns bidders: "This is a tax lien auction. With tax lien auctions, you are not purchasing the property, but you are purchasing a tax lien against the property. Your Certificate of Purchase will entitle you to make subsequent payments of delinquent taxes pursuant to Alabama Code 40-10-191. You are encouraged to investigate and research any parcel you are interested in before making any bids." The advertised list is published in April; the 2026 list covers the 2025 tax year and runs roughly 750 parcels across four pages, each line showing owner name, parcel number, receipt number, and total tax and cost. The county tax sale page does not publish deposit amounts or the bid-down mechanics; those are handled inside GovEase registration and under Title 40, Chapter 10, Article 7. The Revenue Commissioner also posts the Article 7 statutes and an "Important Tax Lien Sale Information" document on the same page.
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)
Morgan County Revenue Commissioner
Morgan County Courthouse, 302 Lee Street NE, Second Floor, Decatur, AL 35601 (mailing: P.O. Box 696, Decatur, AL 35602)
Official websiteNotes for Morgan County
- Revenue Commissioner: Amanda G. Scott, CPA. Main office is on the second floor of the Morgan County Courthouse at 302 Lee Street NE, Decatur.
- Two satellite offices: Hartselle at 560 Shull Road, Hartselle, AL 35640, and Lacey's Spring at 62 Guyer Cove Road, Somerville, AL 35670.
- Additional published numbers: Chief Clerk 256-351-4695, Appraisal Division 256-351-4694, Chief Appraiser 256-351-4674, Mapping Division 256-351-4698, Business Personal Property 256-351-4862, fax 256-351-4699.
- The county's tax sale page (https://www.morgancountyrevenue.com/tax-sale) carries the current year's sale listing link, so the year-specific listing PDF should be re-checked each April.
- GovEase support contacts printed on the county flyer: [email protected] and (769) 208-5050.
- The Revenue Commissioner links a scanned 'Important Tax Lien Sale Information' PDF (TAX-LIEN-RELATED-LAWS.pdf) from the tax sale page; it has no extractable text layer, so its contents were not used as a source here.
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 Morgan County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Morgan County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Morgan County tax certificate sale?
- Each May, conducted online. The county tax sale page states: "Each May, tax delinquent property is auctioned off at the Morgan County Courthouse to the highest bidder. Tax sale property is advertised during the month of April." For the most recent cycle the page states: "The 2026 Tax Lien Sale for the 2025 tax year will begin at 10:00 AM Tuesday, May 12, 2026, and will be conducted online." The published delinquent notice repeats the date: "WILL SELL ON TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026, AT 10:00 AM PURSUANT TO THE CODE OF ALABAMA 40-10-182 AND ACT 2018-57." The GovEase flyer lists the start time as "May 12th, 2026 at 10:00 AM Central.". 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 Morgan 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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