Merced County, CA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Merced County, seat of Merced: 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 Merced County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Merced County Treasurer - Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- No fixed annual date is published on the county site. The most recent sale was set for early January: the Board of Supervisors packet is headed "TAX DEFAULTED AUCTION MINIMUM BID ESTABLISHED FOR AUCTION JANUARY 6, 2026" and lists 80 parcels with minimum bids. Earlier sales ran in late February with a May re-offer. The 2023 notice reads "The sale will be conducted on the Internet at www.bid4assets.com, beginning on Friday, February 24, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. (PST) and ending on Monday, February 27, 2023," followed by a "Notice of Re-Offer Public Auction Beginning May 19-22, 2023." Plan on a winter sale with a possible spring re-offer, and watch the Tax Collector publications page for each year's notice.
Registration and deposit
Online bidding only. The county states "Bidders must register with GovEase in order to participate online" and directs bidders to register at govease.com; GovEase bidder support is listed at (769) 208-5050, Ext. 2, with webinar training in the GovEase bidder help section. Deposit terms for the current sale are not posted on the county page. The February 2023 notice, run on a different platform, required "a single deposit of $2,500, plus a $35 processing fee" and full payment within 3 business days of the auction. The former owner's right to redeem "ceases at 5 p.m. the last business day prior to the auction date."
California sells the deed, not a lien, and Merced runs its sale online rather than in person. Only long-delinquent parcels are offered: "Properties in Merced County that have had tax delinquencies for five or more years, may be offered for sale by the Tax Collector." Verify the platform before registering. The county's current Defaulted Tax Information page says "The Merced County tax sale will be conducted online through GovEase," but the February 2023 notice ran the sale at bid4assets.com, so read the notice for the specific sale. Bidders pay a California documentary transfer tax "calculated at the rate of $0.55 for each $500," plus recording fees, with extra transfer tax inside incorporated cities. All sales are final: "CAVEAT EMPTOR means BUYER BEWARE" and there are "absolutely no refunds of purchases, nor refunds of deposit." The Tax Collector's deed issues in the purchaser's name roughly three to six weeks after the sale. Parcels left unsold may be resold within 90 days, and parties of interest can claim excess proceeds under R&TC 4675. Sale authority is R&TC 3692; the annual delinquent list is published under R&TC 3371.
Register on GovEaseCounty offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Merced County
- The Tax Collector, currently Karen D. Adams, CPA, runs the auction of all tax-defaulted property; the Treasurer line is (209) 385-7307 and the Tax Collector line is (209) 385-7592.
- Board of Supervisors resolution approves the parcel list and minimum bids before each sale; the October 21, 2025 packet set minimum bids for the January 6, 2026 auction, totaling about $15.08 million across 80 parcels.
- Minimum bids in that list ranged from roughly $1,215 on small Dos Palos land parcels to several million dollars on Santa Nella commercial remainders, so the roster mixes low-cost rural land with large commercial parcels.
- Redemption ends at 5 p.m. the last business day before the auction; if a parcel does not sell, the right of redemption revives until the day before the next scheduled auction.
- The annual Property Tax Default (Delinquent) List is published under R&TC 3371 and shows each parcel's amount to redeem, which is a useful pre-sale screening list.
- GovEase did not show a live Merced County auction at the time of research, consistent with the January 2026 sale having already closed.
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 Merced County, California sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Merced County follows California's tax deed state system.
How often does Merced 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.
Explore all 58 California counties
Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.