Mendocino County, CA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Mendocino County, seat of Ukiah: 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 Mendocino County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Mendocino County Treasurer-Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- No auction is currently scheduled. The county's Tax Defaulted Property Auction page states: "While there is no tentative date for the next auction, research and prerequisite steps are underway." The same page lists the prior public auction results, which cluster in early summer: June 2019, June 2018, June 2017, October 2015 to January 2016, June to August 2014, June to August 2013, May to July 2012, May to July 2011, and May 28, 2010. The page also notes the office "did not conduct a public auction in the calendar year 2020 or 2021" because of COVID-19 impacts and staffing. For the current cycle the page states that Impending Power to Sell notices were mailed February 28, 2026, and that parcels not redeemed or placed on a payment plan by June 30, 2026 will have Power to Sell documents recorded July 1, 2026, making them eligible for sale.
Registration and deposit
Bidding is online through Bid4Assets. Bidders create a free Bid4Assets account and then post a single refundable deposit plus a $35 processing fee before the deposit deadline; the deposit covers every parcel in the sale. Mendocino's June 2019 storefront required "A single $5,000 deposit (plus a $35 processing fee)" with the deposit due 4:00 PM ET on June 18, 2019, three days before bidding opened on June 21. Deposit amounts are set per sale, so confirm the current figure with the Treasurer-Tax Collector once a new auction is noticed. Bid4Assets accepts only certified check, money order, or wire transfer for deposits.
Mendocino runs a California tax deed sale under Revenue and Taxation Code Division 1, Part 6, Chapter 7. The Treasurer-Tax Collector conducts the sale, and past sales ran online through Bid4Assets rather than in person; the Bid4Assets storefront titled "Mendocino County Tax Defaulted Properties" is live but currently lists no active auctions. The county's own auction page does not name a platform right now because no sale is noticed, so treat Bid4Assets as the historical and expected venue and re-verify when the next sale is announced. The county page also states that Excess Proceeds forms and instructions "will be released in conjunction with our next scheduled auction." Prior auction results are posted as PDFs from the same page, including the June 2019 results.
Register on Bid4AssetsCounty offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Mendocino County
- Office and phone hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to noon and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Both the counter and phone lines close from noon to 1:00 pm for lunch (source: mendo-ttc).
- Office fax is (707) 463-4166 (source: mendo-ttc).
- The county service directory lists "Real Estate Properties Auction" under the Treasurer-Tax Collector with the summary "Scheduled Public Auctions," pointing back to the Tax Defaulted Property Auction page (source: mendo-svc-dir).
- The June 2019 Bid4Assets sale offered 41 parcels with bids starting as low as $1,200, ran June 21 to June 24, 2019, and had a June 27, 2019 settlement deadline (source: b4a-mendo-jun19). These figures are historical and should not be presented as current terms.
- Bid4Assets adds a California documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of purchase price plus a $35 per-parcel-won administrative fee to the final sale price on California county tax sales (source: b4a-mendo-jun19).
- No current delinquent or sale list is published. The county states additional auction details and default properties will be brought forward as soon as possible (source: mendo-auction).
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 Mendocino County, California sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Mendocino County follows California's tax deed state system.
How often does Mendocino 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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