Henry County, GA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Henry County, seat of McDonough: 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 Henry County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Henry County Tax Commissioner's Office (Tax Commissioner Michael C. Harris, serving as Ex-Officio Sheriff)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- "The Henry County Tax Commissioners Office holds in person tax sales on the first Tuesday of the month. These tax sales are held at 10:00 am at: 140 Henry Parkway McDonough Ga 30253." The office brochure adds: "When held, Judicial In-Rem tax sales are conducted on the first Tuesday of the month between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm... In the event that the first Tuesday of the month falls on a legal holiday, the tax sale may be held on that following day." Sales are not held every month: the county states "*Sales are not held every month.*" and its current list posting (updated June 2, 2026) reads "THERE IS NOT A TAX SALE SCHEDULED FOR JULY 2026 FOR REAL PROPERTY."
Registration and deposit
Bidders must register before the sale. The office states "Bidders must register prior to the day of tax sale online" using the bidder registration form linked from its MUST REGISTER page, then "complete the registration and have funds verified in person the morning of the tax sale (with their acceptable forms of payment in hand)" at the Property Tax Department, 140 Henry Pkwy, McDonough, GA 30253. Requirements: driver license as photo ID, address and phone number, plus verification of actual funds in hand by a Property Tax Specialist. Only cash, money orders and certified checks payable to Henry County Tax Commissioner or HCTC are accepted; no personal checks or bank statements. A separate payment is required for each property purchased, and checks cannot be split between two parcels. Once funds are verified the bidder receives a bidding number, and registered bidders cannot bid more than the amount of funds verified. Bidders cannot bid on property they or their corporation or LLC own. Payment is due at the time of sale and all sales are final. A printable Henry County Tax Sale Registration Form (PDF) is also posted.
Henry County sells by judicial in-rem tax foreclosure under O.C.G.A. Title 48, Chapter 4, Article 5, not by the ordinary non-judicial levy process. The county brochure states: "Here in Henry County, we principally utilize the Judicial In-Rem Tax Sale process." That changes the redemption math for investors. Per the same brochure, "The delinquent owner has sixty (60) days from the date of the tax sale to pay into the registry of the Henry County Superior Court, the redemption amount, which is the minimum bid price," and if no redemption occurs, "within 90 days of the date of sale, the title to the property passes to the purchaser by a deed issued by the Tax Commissioner." The county describes this as eliminating post-sale barment and, in most cases, quiet title. The sale cannot occur earlier than 45 days after the Superior Court order (O.C.G.A. 48-4-81). Opening bid is the total of taxes due plus accrued penalties, interest and fees, and property goes to the highest bidder. Properties are advertised for four consecutive weeks before the sale in the Henry Herald, the county legal organ. Excess funds are interpleaded to the Clerk of Superior Court; the Tax Commissioner does not hold or distribute them, and claimants must file a motion in Civil Court. Separate manufactured and mobile home tax sales are also held, and the office states there is no redemption period on mobile homes. The office links an online bidder registration form hosted on the county DocuWare system; that link returned a server error when checked on 2026-07-26, so confirm the current registration method by phone at 770-288-8180. The office also posts that its mailing address is changing soon, so verify before mailing anything. In person at the Henry County Administration Building, 140 Henry Parkway, McDonough, GA 30253. No online auction platform.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Henry County
- Henry County uses the judicial in-rem tax foreclosure process (O.C.G.A. 48-4-75 et seq.), so the statewide 12-month redemption at a 20% premium does not describe these sales. The county brochure states a 60-day post-sale redemption paid into the Superior Court registry at the minimum bid price, with the Tax Commissioner issuing a deed within 90 days of sale if no redemption occurs.
- Sales are in person only, on the courthouse-equivalent site at the Henry County Administration Building, 140 Henry Parkway, McDonough. No online bidding platform.
- Sales are not held every month. The list posted in mid-2026 stated no real property tax sale was scheduled for July 2026, so the list page doubles as the sale calendar.
- Registration is two-step: an online form before the sale day, then in-person ID and funds verification the morning of the sale with cash, money order or certified check in hand. Bid capacity is capped at the verified funds amount.
- Excess funds are interpleaded to the Clerk of Superior Court, and claims require a motion in Civil Court. The Tax Commissioner does not distribute them.
- Manufactured and mobile home tax sales are run separately and carry no redemption period, plus a separate title fee and sales tax due at the Motor Vehicle Department.
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 Henry County, Georgia sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Henry County follows Georgia's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Henry 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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