Lassen County, CA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Lassen County, seat of Susanville: 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 Lassen County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Lassen County Treasurer / Tax Collector (Taya Short, Treasurer/Tax Collector). The auction notice is signed "Taya Short, Lassen County Tax Collector" and the Bid4Assets storefront is titled "County of Lassen, California Treasurer-Tax Collector".
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Spring, with the main sale in mid-May and a re-offer of unsold parcels in mid-June. The county's most recent notice reads: "NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION ON MAY 15th THROUGH MAY 18th 2026 OF TAX DEFAULTED PROPERTY FOR DELINQUENT TAXES" and "The sale will be conducted on the website www.bid4assets.com beginning at 8:00 am PST on May 15th through May 18, 2026 as a public auction to the highest bidder for cash in lawful money of the United States or negotiable paper, for not less than the minimum bid as shown on this notice. If no bids are received on a parcel, it may, at that tax collector's discretion, be re-offered June 12 through June 15, 2026." The Bid4Assets re-offer storefront confirms the re-offer ran June 12 to June 15, 2026. The sale is authorized each cycle by a Board of Supervisors resolution; the 2026 resolution is dated December 09, 2025.
Registration and deposit
Online only through Bid4Assets. Create a free Bid4Assets account, then submit a single $1,000 deposit plus a $35 non-refundable processing fee to bid on any parcel in the sale. Lassen County additionally requires that "all prospective bidders MUST complete their vesting information before they are allowed to access the deposit instructions." Deposits are accepted by certified check, money order, or wire transfer only; ACH, direct deposit, credit card, and money transfers are rejected. The deposit deadline falls the Monday before the sale opens (May 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM PT for the May 2026 sale; June 8, 2026 for the June re-offer). Winning bidders must deliver full settlement payment to Lassen County by the settlement deadline (May 21, 2026 for the May sale, June 18, 2026 for the re-offer); no exceptions, and a defaulting winner forfeits the deposit. A California Documentary Transfer Tax of $0.55 per $500 of purchase price, or fractional part, is added to and collected with the full purchase price. Deposits from non-winning bidders are refunded by eCheck within 10 business days after the close of the auction.
Lassen County sells tax-defaulted property by online public auction on Bid4Assets; there is no in-person sale. The sale is made pursuant to California Revenue and Taxation Code section 3692. The May 2026 sale offered 42 parcels with minimum bids starting at $1,200, all no-reserve, and the June 2026 re-offer carried 12 unsold parcels starting at $2,500. Bidding is to the highest bidder for cash or negotiable paper at no less than the published minimum bid, with proxy auto-bidding and overtime extensions on the platform. The right of redemption ceased Thursday May 14, 2026 at close of business, and the notice states that if a parcel is not sold "the right of redemption revives up to the close of business of the last business day prior to the next scheduled sale." Parties of interest as defined in Revenue and Taxation Code section 4675 may claim excess proceeds from the county. Properties sell as-is; the county makes no guarantee as to title, location, or condition, and under California law the county cannot fall back to the second-highest bidder if a winner defaults. The county also publishes a "Notice of Impending Power to Sell Tax Defaulted Properties" spreadsheet on the Treasurer / Tax Collector page, which is the forward-looking pipeline of parcels approaching sale eligibility. Call 530-251-8221 for auction and excess-proceeds questions; 530-251-8218 is the department's main line.
Register on Bid4AssetsCounty offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Lassen County
- Deed state: Lassen County auctions tax-defaulted property under California Revenue and Taxation Code section 3692, with the sale run entirely online on Bid4Assets.
- Two bites at the apple each year: a main mid-May sale, then a mid-June re-offer of parcels that drew no bids, at the tax collector's discretion.
- Single $1,000 deposit plus a $35 processing fee covers bidding on every parcel in the sale, but Lassen also gates deposit instructions behind completed vesting information, so start registration early.
- Settlement is fast. Full payment is due to the county within about three business days of the auction close, and a defaulting winner forfeits the deposit and may be barred from future sales.
- Redemption cuts off at close of business the day before the sale opens, and revives on any unsold parcel until the last business day before the next scheduled sale.
- A California Documentary Transfer Tax of $0.55 per $500 of purchase price is added on top of the winning bid.
- Office contact confirmed at 220 S. Lassen Street, Suite 3, Susanville, CA 96130; 530-251-8218 main line, 530-251-8221 for tax sale and excess-proceeds questions, email [email protected].
- The county's old lassencounty.org domain now 301-redirects to lassencounty.gov; use the .gov URLs.
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 Lassen County, California sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Lassen County follows California's tax deed state system.
How often does Lassen 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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