Humboldt County, CA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Humboldt County, seat of Eureka: 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 California tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Humboldt County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Humboldt County Treasurer - Tax Collector (Amy Christensen, Treasurer - Tax Collector)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual online public auction held in late spring. The county auction page states: "This year's auction will be held on May 29, 2026." The statutory notice for the prior year reads: "The sale will be conducted at www.govease.com, on May 15th, 2025, as a public auction to the highest bidder for not less than the minimum bid as shown on this notice." Recent sale dates listed by the county run March 1, 2021, May 2022, June 15, 2023 (with an August 15, 2023 re-offer), June 10, 2024, May 15, 2025, and May 29, 2026.
Registration and deposit
Online only, with pre-registration through GovEase. The 2025 notice states: "Only bids submitted via the Internet will be accepted. Pre-registration is required. Register on-line at www.govease.com by May 14, 2025." Bidders must post a refundable $2,500 deposit electronically or by certified check, which is applied to the successful bidder's purchase price. Full payment and deed vesting information are due within 24 hours after the end of the sale, by wire transfer or certified check only. A California documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per each $500 or fraction thereof is added to and collected with the purchase price. The county FAQ adds that "Govease.com will register bidders" and that instructions are available on GovEase or by calling 769-208-5050 ext 2.
Humboldt County is a tax deed county. The Treasurer - Tax Collector sells tax-defaulted property at an annual online public auction made pursuant to California Revenue and Taxation Code section 3702. A Notice of Power to Sell is recorded after taxes remain in default five years, after which the Board of Supervisors directs the Tax Collector to conduct the sale; the 2025 notice records that direction as given on February 11, 2025. The sale is not held in person: the notice states bidding is conducted at www.govease.com and that only internet bids are accepted. Parcels receiving no bids are re-offered on GovEase the following day at a minimum price set to stimulate competitive bidding. The right of redemption ceases at 5 p.m. on the last business day before the sale, and any parcel not sold has its redemption right revive until the close of business the day before the next scheduled sale. Properties are sold as is, with no county guarantee of title, location, or condition, and due diligence is the bidder's responsibility. Parcel-level detail is posted on GovEase; minimum bids and assessor parcel numbers appear in the published auction notice, which the county posts on its Tax Collector Publications page and publishes three times at successive seven-day intervals in a newspaper of general circulation. Excess proceeds claims follow R&TC sections 4675 and 3692(e), and the county posts excess proceeds lists alongside auction results.
Register on GovEaseCounty offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Humboldt County Treasurer - Tax Collector
825 5th St. Room 125, Eureka, CA 95501
Official websiteNotes for Humboldt County
- Deed sale, not a lien sale. Bidders buy the property itself under California Revenue and Taxation Code section 3702, following a recorded Notice of Power to Sell after five years of tax default.
- Online only. The 2025 statutory notice states "Only bids submitted via the Internet will be accepted," with bidding conducted at www.govease.com. There is no in-person courthouse sale.
- Registration deadline falls the day before the auction, paired with a refundable $2,500 deposit posted through GovEase.
- Settlement is fast: full payment plus deed vesting instructions are due within 24 hours after the sale closes, by wire transfer or certified check only.
- California documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per each $500 or fraction thereof is added to the purchase price at closing.
- Unsold parcels are re-offered on GovEase the next day at a reduced minimum bid, and the 2023 cycle also ran a separate August 15, 2023 re-offer sale.
- Redemption cuts off at 5 p.m. on the last business day before the sale, so the published parcel list shrinks right up to auction day.
- The county posts each year's auction publication (assessor parcel numbers, assessee names, and minimum bids) on the Tax Collector Publications page, plus auction results and excess proceeds lists on the Public Auction Information page.
- Office is closed Fridays. Public hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 5:00pm.
- General email for the office is [email protected]. GovEase bidder support is 769-208-5050 ext 2.
- ParcelQuest Lite (assr.parcelquest.com/hum.aspx) is the county-linked parcel map lookup, useful for pre-bid diligence on rural Humboldt parcels.
California statewide rules
- Redemption
- Tax-defaulted property may be redeemed until the right of redemption is terminated (section 4101). That right terminates at the close of business on the last business day prior to the commencement date of the tax sale, and the start of the auction counts as the sale date no matter when bidding closes. A redemption payment sent by mail must be received in the tax collector's office before that deadline. California has no post-sale redemption period: once the auction opens, a record owner who has not redeemed loses all legal and equitable interest in the property. Two situations revive the right of redemption. The right revives if the property is not sold, and it revives on the next business day if the tax collector approved a credit sale and the buyer did not pay in full by the deadline the tax collector set.
- Deed deposit
- The tax collector may require a deposit and must give public notice before the sale of its amount, payment method, and due date, and of whether it is a condition of bidding or applies toward the purchase price. On a sale the tax collector approves as a deferred-payment transaction, the deposit may be $5,000 or 10 percent of the minimum bid price, whichever is greater. Counties set the specific figure, so confirm it on the county page or auction platform.
- Surplus proceeds
- Sale proceeds first cover statutory distributions, then taxes, assessments, and county costs. Anything left is excess proceeds held in the delinquent tax sale trust fund. A party of interest may file a claim at any time before one year after the tax collector's deed to the purchaser is recorded. Distribution runs first to lienholders of record before the tax deed was recorded, in order of their priority, then to persons with title of record. Excess proceeds not claimed within that year may be transferred to the county general fund.
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 Humboldt County, California sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Humboldt County follows California's tax deed state system.
How often does Humboldt County hold tax deed sales?
- annual. 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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