Chatham County, GA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Chatham County, seat of Savannah: 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 Georgia tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Chatham County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Chatham County Tax Commissioner
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The Tax Commissioner holds the sale "on the first Tuesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. when scheduled" and states the auction is "conducted between 10 AM - 4PM." Sales are not held every month; the office posts each scheduled date with its list. The next sale posted at the time of research was July 7, 2026.
- Sale list
- Tax Sale List
Registration and deposit
Bidders pre-register through the county's online bidder form linked from the Tax Sale page as "Pre-Register for Tax Sale Here" (https://chathamcountyga.seamlessdocs.com/f/bidderform). The office states "The time to remit payment will be determined the day of the sale" and "The form of payment must be cash, money order or certified check." The page also warns that "Bidding on a piece of property is a binding agreement between the Levying Authority and the bidder/purchaser."
Chatham County runs a redeemable tax deed sale in person, not on an online auction platform, so no platform URL applies. The sale is not held on the courthouse steps: the Tax Commissioner holds it "on the second floor of the Savannah Civic Center in the Bryan Room (301 W. Oglethorpe Ave, 31401)." The office publishes both a tax sale list and a tax sale photo list for each scheduled date, and posts month by month outcomes on a separate Tax Sales Results page along with an Excess Funds page. The Tax Commissioner labels these "buyer beware sales! There are no guarantees neither expressed nor implied" and cites O.C.G.A. 9-13-167. Many parcels on the list are advertised in rem against the property where the record owner is deceased.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Chatham County
- County seat is Savannah. The Tax Commissioner's office lists property tax email [email protected] and a secondary phone (912) 652-7391; the county government site lists (912) 652-7100 or (912) 652-7101 for the Tax Commissioner.
- Sale venue is the Savannah Civic Center Bryan Room, 301 W. Oglethorpe Avenue, rather than the courthouse steps, so investors should confirm the venue on the Tax Sale page before each sale.
- Sales are scheduled only in some months. Check the Tax Sale page for the current date and list rather than assuming a monthly cadence.
- Payment on the day of sale must be cash, money order, or certified check; the office announces the remittance deadline at the sale.
- Separate Tax Sales Results and Excess Funds pages on the Tax Commissioner site cover post sale outcomes and surplus claims.
Georgia statewide rules
- Redemption
- The right to redeem runs for 12 months from the date of the sale and does not end there. It continues after the year until the tax deed purchaser forecloses it by serving and publishing the statutory barment notice, which cannot be started until 12 months have passed. The purchaser delivers the notice to the sheriff at least 45 days before the redemption deadline named in it, and publishes it once a week for four consecutive weeks in the six months immediately before that deadline. Redemption puts title back in the defendant in fi. fa. subject to the liens that existed at the sale, and the purchaser must execute and record a quitclaim deed. Title under a tax deed recorded on or after July 1, 1996 ripens by prescription four years after recording. Judicial in rem foreclosures under Article 5 run on a different clock: the owner has 60 days after the sale to redeem by paying the minimum bid price into the superior court.
- Deed deposit
- Georgia sets no statewide percentage deposit. A purchaser at a judicial sale may tender cash or a cashier's or certified check drawn for the purchase price and issued or certified by a federally insured financial institution. Counties publish their own payment terms, and many require payment in full at the close of the sale, so confirm the terms with the tax commissioner before bidding.
- Surplus proceeds
- Excess funds left after taxes, costs, and the expenses of the sale belong to the former owner and to recorded lienholders in order of priority. The officer who sold the property must mail notice of the excess funds by first-class mail within 30 days to the record owner at the time of the sale, to the holder of each security deed, and to every other party with a recorded equity interest or claim, and may file an interpleader action in superior court. Funds still unclaimed five years after the sale are paid over to the Georgia Department of Revenue, after which only a court order from an interpleader action releases them.
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 Chatham County, Georgia sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Chatham County follows Georgia's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Chatham 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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