Sutter County, CA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Sutter County, seat of Yuba City: 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 Sutter County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Sutter County Treasurer-Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- No auction is currently scheduled. The county publishes sale dates only when a sale is set: "When a Tax Sale is scheduled, you will receive an email with the online tax auction date and parcel information." The county's own archive lists past sales as "Results of the November 2019 Tax Sale," "Results of the November 2018 Tax Sale," "Results of the January 2018 (Reoffer) Tax Sale" and "Results of the November 2017 Tax Sale," so historical sales clustered in November, with a January reoffer in 2018. Notice of the sale is advertised before it runs: "A list of available properties will be published in the local Appeal-Democrat three times, once weekly, one month prior to the auction."
Registration and deposit
Register online through Bid4Assets. The county's Tax Sale FAQ states: "Instructions and requirements to participate in the auction process can be found at: www.bid4assets.com/Sutter." On the county's most recent Bid4Assets storefront (November 2019 sale), bidding required a free Bid4Assets account plus a single refundable deposit of $2,500 with a $35 processing fee, wired by the published deposit deadline, and the storefront noted that "all perspective bidders MUST fill out their vesting information before they are allowed to access the deposit instructions." Confirm the deposit amount and deadline on the storefront for the specific sale, since those terms are set per auction.
Sutter County sells tax-defaulted property by deed, not by lien certificate. The Treasurer-Tax Collector "conducts the sale of 'Tax Defaulted Property Subject to Power to Sell' pursuant to provisions of the California Revenue and Taxation Code, and with the written approval of the Sutter County Board of Supervisors." The auction runs online through Bid4Assets rather than in person. Redemption ends late: "The right to pay the taxes in full to avoid the sale of the property ceases at the close of business, 5:00 p.m., on the last business day prior to the sale." Opening bids are statutory: the minimum for a parcel offered for the first time is "no less than the total amount necessary to redeem plus costs," and the Tax Collector may set a higher minimum. Deeds pass free of most pre-sale encumbrances under R&TC section 3712, but the FAQ lists the carve-outs, including IRS liens not discharged by the sale, Mello-Roos special taxes, 1915 Act assessments, easements and recorded restrictions. Parcels sell "as is" with no refunds, most title companies will not insure for a year after the tax deed records, and a defaulting winning bidder forfeits the deposit and can be barred from Sutter County tax sales for up to five years. The county does not handle foreclosure or eviction. Investors should subscribe to the county's Tax Sale notification list, since the sale date and parcel list go out by email. No sale has appeared in the county archive since November 2019, and Bid4Assets currently shows no active Sutter County auction, so treat the November pattern as history rather than a confirmed schedule.
Register on Bid4AssetsCounty offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Sutter County
- Sutter County's tax-defaulted property auction is run by the Treasurer-Tax Collector and hosted online by Bid4Assets. The county's Tax Sale FAQ points bidders to www.bid4assets.com/Sutter for participation instructions.
- No sale is currently scheduled. The county's Prior Tax Sale/Excess Proceed Archives page lists results only for November 2017, January 2018 (reoffer), November 2018 and November 2019. Bid4Assets shows no active Sutter County storefront, and the county tells bidders to join its Tax Sale notification list to get the auction date and parcel list by email.
- Right of redemption runs until 5:00 p.m. on the last business day before the sale, per the county FAQ.
- Minimum bid on a first-time offering is at least the total needed to redeem plus costs, and the Tax Collector can set it higher.
- The sale is advertised in the Appeal-Democrat three times, once weekly, one month before the auction.
- Deed conveys free of most pre-sale encumbrances under R&TC section 3712, but the FAQ lists exceptions including undischarged IRS liens, Mello-Roos special taxes, 1915 Act assessments, easements and recorded restrictions.
- Defaulting after winning forfeits the deposit and can bar the bidder from Sutter County tax sales for up to five years. Most title insurers will not write a policy for a year after the tax deed records, and challenges to the sale are limited to one year from recording under R&TC sections 177 and 3725 et seq.
- The county also posts a Property Tax Default (Delinquent) List PDF and an annual Notice of Property Tax Delinquency, Impending Default and Power to Sell, which are the pre-sale pipeline rather than the auction list itself.
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 Sutter County, California sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Sutter County follows California's tax deed state system.
How often does Sutter 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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