Murray County, GA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Murray County, seat of Chatsworth: 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 Murray County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Murray County Tax Commissioner's Office
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- "Murray County holds one tax sale a year on the first Tuesday of any given month. A list of the property to be sold will appear in the Wednesday edition of the Chatsworth Times for 4 weeks prior to the tax sale."
Registration and deposit
No online registration. Per the Tax Commissioner: "Bidders or a representative must be present to bid. We will not accept mail, phone or faxed bids. The opening bid for a property will be the amount of tax due plus any fees accrued. Tax sales are conducted as auctions and the property will be awarded to the highest bidder." Payment is due immediately after the sale by cash, cashier's check, money order, or personal check, and the clerk verifies funds before processing a personal check. A driver's license or photo ID is required.
Murray County runs its tax sale in person, live, with bidders or their representative physically present. The Tax Commissioner does not use an online auction platform and does not accept mail, phone, or faxed bids, so there is no platform URL. The office states plainly that it sells redeemable deeds and not liens: "We do not sell tax liens." Property becomes eligible once taxes are 3 years delinquent. The sale list is not posted as a downloadable file on the county site; it is advertised in the Wednesday edition of the Chatsworth Times for the 4 weeks before the sale. The Tax Commissioner's page does not name the sale location or a specific sale date, so confirm both with the office before bidding.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Murray County
- Murray County sells redeemable tax deeds, not certificates. The Tax Commissioner states: "We do not sell tax liens." Winning bidders receive a Sheriff's tax deed.
- Eligibility threshold: "Any property that has taxes which are 3 years delinquent, is subject to a tax sale."
- Redemption per the county: the right of redemption stays open at least 12 months plus 1 day after the sale, and the owner redeems by paying the purchaser's bid amount, any additional taxes the purchaser paid, plus 20 percent. If the property is redeemed, ownership and any liens revert to their position at the time of sale.
- The purchaser cannot take physical possession, make improvements or deletions, or evict tenants for 12 months plus 1 day or until the right of redemption is closed.
- Excess funds are held in escrow by the Tax Commissioner's Office for 5 years, then sent to the State of Georgia as unclaimed funds. All excess-funds claims are turned over to the county attorney for determination of proper distribution.
- The Tax Commissioner's Office does not assist with redemption or foreclosure of the right to redeem and does not give legal advice.
- A tax fi. fa. (lien) is recorded with the Clerk of Superior Court when taxes stay unpaid more than 90 days past the due date; a 10 percent penalty also applies at 90 days, except on homesteaded property with a tax liability under $500.
- Contact for bidder questions: Tax Commissioner Billy Childers, [email protected], (706) 695-3423. Office hours listed as Monday through Thursday, 7:30 AM to 6 PM.
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 Murray County, Georgia sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Murray County follows Georgia's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Murray 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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