Mississippi County, AR tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Mississippi County runs two courthouse districts and the Collector staffs both: Blytheville at 200 West Walnut, Room 105, reachable at (870) 763-6841, and Osceola at 200 West Hale Ave, Room 209, reachable at (870) 563-6558. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., open through lunch. Call the district that covers the parcel to confirm a redemption or payoff amount before the sale.
• •Susan McCormick is the elected Collector. Email the office at [email protected] for delinquent real estate tax questions. The Collector takes no personal checks on delinquent personal property tax.
• •The county publishes no tax sale calendar or delinquent list on its website. Track the Commissioner of State Lands Public Auction Catalog for the parcel list and sale date, and watch the legal notices in the local newspaper.
• •Bring exact payment to the live auction. Cash is not accepted, card payments add a 4% non-refundable processing fee, and the Commissioner of State Lands allows no extra time to fetch funds after the gavel falls.
• •Research before you bid. City liens, improvement district taxes and property owner association fees can survive the sale and become the buyer's responsibility, and IRS liens carry federal protection, so contact the IRS about satisfying one. The catalog links each parcel number to the county assessor's property card, and plat records are searchable at plat.arkansas.gov.
• •Recorded liens, mortgages and judgments are filed with the Mississippi County Circuit Clerk, which is where a title search on a catalog parcel starts. The Commissioner of State Lands records the limited warranty deed with that same office after payment clears.
• •Parcels that draw no bid at the Jonesboro regional auction reappear in the online post-auction sale about 30 days later, priced at the same taxes, interest, penalty and costs. That sale runs continuously, so a Mississippi County parcel can be bought outside the August auction window.

Arkansas rules

Redemption

The clock is long even though the deadline is hard. The county collector holds the delinquent land for one year after the October 15 delinquency date, certification to the Commissioner of State Lands follows no later than July 1 of the next year, and the sale date must be no earlier than one year after certification, so an owner normally has more than two years from the missed payment. What the owner does not get is any post-sale window. The Commissioner's office states that, effective July 1, 2023, parcels sold through its office cannot be redeemed and all sales are final, at live auctions and through the online unsold-property auction alike. Payment has to be received by the 4:00 p.m. deadline; postmarks are not accepted. A quoted redemption figure holds for 30 days unless the parcel sells, the county amends its records, or further costs accrue.Ark. Code Ann. 26-37-302, the redemption and purchase figure: all delinquent taxes plus 10 percent simple interest per year of delinquency, a 10 percent penalty per year of delinquency, and county and Commissioner costs, accruing from October 16Ark. Code Ann. 26-37-302Verified Aug 18, 2026

Deed deposit

There is no statutory bidder deposit at the live auction and no registration fee. Registration opens one hour before the sale at the sale site against a photo ID and a driver's license number, and the successful bidder tenders the full purchase price at the time of the sale. The online unsold-property auction works differently: registration requires identity verification and a card on file, and the winning bidder's card is charged $100 in earnest money immediately on notification.Ark. Code Ann. 26-37-202, in-person auction held in the county where the parcel sits, online unsold-property auction for parcels that draw no qualifying bid, negotiated-price sale after two years, and redemption cut off at 4:00 p.m. CST the last business day before the saleArk. Code Ann. 26-37-202Verified Aug 18, 2026

Surplus proceeds

Money above the taxes, fees, penalties, interest and costs due at the time of sale is excess proceeds. Within one year of receipt the Commissioner pays penalties, collection fees and sale costs to his own office and the delinquent taxes, interest and costs to the county. The remainder is held for one year from the date of the limited warranty deed, then applied on application to delinquent personal property taxes, state tax certificates of indebtedness and delinquent solid waste assessments. Of whatever is left, 10 percent up to a maximum of $500 goes to the Commissioner for administering the distribution and the rest is payable to the former owner on a complete claim packet. Excess proceeds are held two years and then escheat by operation of law to the county. A former owner, part owner or interested party who buys the parcel at the tax sale is not entitled to any distribution, and a third-party recovery agent's fee may not exceed 10 percent.Ark. Code Ann. 26-37-205, order of distribution of sale money, the 10 percent capped at $500 administration retention, the former owner's claim to the remainder and the two-year escrow before escheatArk. Code Ann. 26-37-205Verified Aug 18, 2026

Governing statute

Ark. Code Ann. Title 26, Chapter 37Ark. Code Ann. 26-37-101, land unpaid one year after the October 15 due date is forfeited to the state and certified to the Commissioner of State Lands; tax-delinquent lands shall not be sold at the county levelArk. Code Ann. 26-37-101Verified Aug 18, 2026

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.

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