Tehama County, CA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Tehama County, seat of Red Bluff: 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 Tehama County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Tehama County Treasurer/Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- No fixed annual month. Tehama runs its tax-defaulted auction irregularly. The county page states "We are tentatively planning on holding the next property tax sale auction in the first half of 2027," and records the prior sale as the "October 25 & 26, 2023 Auction," which "has concluded." Investors should check the Tax Sale Auctions page for the next confirmed date.
Registration and deposit
Online bidder registration through GovEase. The 2023 auction terms required prospective purchasers to "register as a bidder on the GovEase.com website" with a single $5,000 deposit plus a $35 nonrefundable registration fee to be approved to bid, with all deposits received by GovEase no later than the Monday before the sale start date. Bidding opened at the stated minimum bid per parcel with $100 increments. A $150 fee and a 5.25% buyer's premium applied to the winning bid, and payment in full by wire transfer or ACH/e-check was due within 24 hours of the close of the auction (no business checks, personal checks, or credit cards). Deposit and fee amounts apply to the 2023 sale and can change; confirm against the terms published for the next auction.
Deed sale only. The county states plainly: "Tehama County does not sell tax liens for tax-defaulted properties." The auction is run online through GovEase, and the county's own terms document is titled "Internet Auction of Tax Defaulted Real Property," so this is not an in-person courthouse sale. Property becomes subject to the Tax Collector's Power to Sell after five years of tax default, and "The auction is conducted by the county tax collector, and the property is sold to the highest bidder." There is no post-sale redemption for the former owner: the right to redeem "is forfeited as of 5:00PM on the last business day prior to the sale," and the county FAQ notes "There is no extended right of redemption in the State of California." The minimum bid is set by state law at no less than the amount to redeem plus costs. Title conveys under Revenue and Taxation Code section 3712, and the county warns that not all liens are discharged. Deeds are typically mailed eight to twelve weeks after recording, most title companies will not insure title for at least one year after the tax deed records, and a sale can be rescinded under R&TC section 3731. Where the IRS holds a lien, the United States retains a 120-day right of redemption. California documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of purchase price is collected with the purchase. The linked parcel spreadsheet is the final list from the October 2023 auction; a fresh list will be posted for the next sale.
Register on GovEaseCounty offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Tehama County Treasurer/Tax Collector
444 Oak Street, Room D, Red Bluff, CA 96080 (mailing: P.O. Box 769, Red Bluff, CA 96080)
Official websiteNotes for Tehama County
- County seat is Red Bluff. The Treasurer/Tax Collector office sits at 444 Oak Street, Room D, and is open 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Parker R. Hunt is the Treasurer/Tax Collector. Tax sales are handled by Assistant Treasurer/Tax Collector Lorrie Brown at (530) 527-4535 x3226.
- Tehama sells deeds, not liens. The Tax Sale Auctions page states directly that the county does not sell tax liens for tax-defaulted properties, matching the statewide California rule.
- Sale cadence is irregular rather than annual. The last completed auction was October 25 and 26, 2023, and the county says the next one is tentatively planned for the first half of 2027, so the page needs re-checking before any investor plans around it.
- The auction is hosted online by GovEase. The county page links bidders to GovEase for registration, and the county's terms and FAQ documents are both headed "Internet Auction of Tax Defaulted Real Property."
- Excess proceeds from the 2023 sale were published by the county with a claim deadline of November 17, 2024, alongside a blank claim form.
- All published deposit, fee, and premium figures come from the October 2023 auction terms and should be re-verified against the terms issued for the next sale.
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 Tehama County, California sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Tehama County follows California's tax deed state system.
How often does Tehama 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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