Effingham County, GA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Effingham County, seat of Springfield: 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 Effingham County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Effingham County Tax Commissioner
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- No sale date or calendar is published on Effingham County's official pages as of July 2026. The county's property tax page states only that "If taxes are not paid on the property, it may be levied upon and ultimately sold," and the county FAQ states that after the November 20 due date and accrued interest and penalties, "If the property taxes remain unpaid, the Tax Commissioner has the right and responsibility to levy on the property for non-payment. Of course, we consider this a last resort for tax collection and prefer to use other collection methods." Georgia levy sales run on the first Tuesday of the month under O.C.G.A. Title 48, but Effingham publishes no county-specific month or date.
Registration and deposit
No county-specific bidder registration instructions are published on the Tax Commissioner's pages. Contact the Tax Commissioner at (912) 754-2121 to confirm registration and payment terms before a sale.
Effingham County sells a redeemable tax deed at a non-judicial levy sale conducted by the Tax Commissioner. No online auction platform is listed anywhere on the county's official pages, so treat the sale as an in-person courthouse sale in Springfield until the office confirms otherwise. The county's official payment portal (Government Window) carries a "Tax Sale Information (Click Here)" link to https://www.effinghamtax.com/tax-sales.html, but that link is dead: effinghamtax.com now 301-redirects to the county CivicPlus page and the /tax-sales.html path returns HTTP 404. The county's rebuilt Tax Commissioner section (About Us, Property, Motor Vehicles, FAQs & Links) has no tax sale page, the site search returns no tax sale results, and the Document Center holds no tax sale notices. The same Government Window page links tax sale excess funds to a third-party non-judicial excess funds list that does include an Effingham County file, which confirms the county runs non-judicial (Article 1) tax sales rather than judicial in-rem foreclosures. Buyers should call the office for the current sale calendar and the levy list.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Effingham County Tax Commissioner
802 S. Laurel Street, Springfield, GA 31329 (mailing: P.O. Box 787, Springfield, GA 31329)
Official websiteNotes for Effingham County
- Tax Commissioner: Daniel Rodewolt. Office hours Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:45 pm. Fax 912-754-8411. The office moved to 802 S. Laurel Street, Springfield, GA 31329.
- effinghamtax.com is the office's legacy domain and now 301-redirects to https://www.effinghamcounty.org/667/Tax-Commissioner. The Georgia Department of Revenue county facts page still lists effinghamtax.com as the county tax office website.
- Property taxes are due November 20. Interest accrues at 1% per month after November 20, plus a 5% penalty every 120 days up to 20%, before the Tax Commissioner levies.
- Online property tax search and payment runs through Government Window at https://effinghamcountyga.governmentwindow.com/tax.html. That portal is captcha-gated and requires a real browser session to read.
- No delinquent or sale list URL could be verified. The only tax sale link the county publishes returns a 404, so the list must be requested from the office.
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 Effingham County, Georgia sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Effingham County follows Georgia's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Effingham 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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