Randolph County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Randolph County, seat of Wedowee: 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 Randolph County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Randolph County Revenue Commissioner
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- April. The Revenue Commissioner's posted notice reads "Tax Lien Auction: 4/21/2026 at 8:30 AM CST online at http://govease.com" and covers the 2025 tax year. Confirm the next auction date on the office page, since only the most recent auction is posted.
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
The sale runs online, so bidders create a GovEase account and clear that platform's bidder registration before the auction opens. The county notice states, "In accordance with Code of AL 40-10-182, this notice is to inform you of a tax lien auction for the 2025 tax year. Per 40-10-184, a tax lien sold at auction pursuant to this article shall include an administrative fee of forty-five dollars ($45), effective upon the preparation of the tax lien auction list." The county page publishes no deposit amount, bid increment, or registration deadline, so confirm those with the Revenue Commissioner at 256-357-4343 or with GovEase before you bid.
Randolph County uses Alabama's tax lien auction method and holds the sale online through GovEase, not in person at the courthouse. The Revenue Commissioner posts the auction notice on its own site and links a searchable delinquent real property tax listing plus a separate delinquent business personal property listing. Each lien sold carries a $45 administrative fee added when the auction list is prepared.
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)
Randolph County Revenue Commissioner
1 Main St, Courthouse #101, Wedowee, AL 36278. Mailing: P.O. Box 310, Wedowee, AL 36278
Official websiteNotes for Randolph County
- Tammy Farr is the Revenue Commissioner. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, at 1 Main St, Courthouse #101 in Wedowee, and mail goes to P.O. Box 310, Wedowee, AL 36278.
- Randolph County property taxes are due October 1 and become delinquent after December 31. That delinquency feeds the following spring's tax lien auction list.
- The office publishes two delinquent lists. The real property listing is the one tied to the tax lien auction. The business personal property listing is collected separately, and the county page states that business personal property sold for taxes cannot be redeemed.
- The county posts only the current auction notice, so the delinquent listing page and the homepage banner are the places to check for the next year's date and cutoff.
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 Randolph County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Randolph County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Randolph County tax certificate sale?
- April. The Revenue Commissioner's posted notice reads "Tax Lien Auction: 4/21/2026 at 8:30 AM CST online at http://govease.com" and covers the 2025 tax year. Confirm the next auction date on the office page, since only the most recent auction is posted.. 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 Randolph 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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