Newton County, GA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Newton County, seat of Covington: 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 Newton County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Newton County Tax Commissioner
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- "Tax sales are held on the first Tuesday of each month (for months in which a tax sale is planned), at 10 AM." Sales are not held every month. The Tax Commissioner posts a dated list only when a sale is scheduled; the list posted as of July 2026 is headed "September 1, 2026 Tax Sale List".
- Sale list
- Newton County Tax Sale Listing
Registration and deposit
Register in person on sale day. The county tells bidders to "Arrive early to fill out a bidder registration form prior to the tax sale." It also states: "Bidders or a representative must be present to bid. Mail, phone or faxed bids are not acceptable." Payment is due in full by 3 PM on the day of the sale, and "Only certified funds are accepted in the form of cash, cashier's check, or money order."
Newton County runs a live, in-person redeemable tax deed sale. No online bidding platform is used: the Tax Commissioner requires bidders or their representative to be present and does not accept mail, phone, or faxed bids. The office states it "follows legal procedures prescribed by the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) when levying property." The opening bid equals the amount of tax due plus penalties and all other applicable fees. After the sale, "the owner, creditor or any person having an interest in the property may redeem the property from the holder of the tax deed within 12 months from the original tax sale date," and the redemption price may include the purchaser's bid amount, taxes paid by the purchaser after the sale, any special assessments, "plus 20% premium." Scheduled sales are advertised in The Covington News and announced on the Tax Commissioner's website. The county pages do not name the physical sale venue, so confirm the location with the office before attending.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Newton County
- Sale type is a redeemable tax deed under O.C.G.A. Title 48, Chapter 4: the purchaser takes a deed the owner can redeem for 12 months at a 20% premium.
- Sales run only in months where the county has properties ready, so the first-Tuesday slot at 10 AM is a window rather than a guaranteed monthly auction.
- Delinquent accounts move through a fi. fa. (tax execution) recorded on the Superior Court Clerk's General Execution Docket, where it stays in effect for seven years, issued after a 30-day notice of intent.
- Full payment in certified funds is due by 3 PM on sale day, so winning bidders need funds staged before bidding.
- Scheduled sales are advertised in The Covington News, the county legal organ, and announced on the Tax Commissioner website.
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 Newton County, Georgia sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Newton County follows Georgia's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Newton 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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