Schley County, GA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Schley County, seat of Ellaville: 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 Schley County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Schley County Tax Commissioner
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- First Tuesday of the sale month, between the legal hours of 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. The 2025 notice reads: "There will be sold for cash or certified funds at public outcry, before the Courthouse door in Ellaville, Schley County, Georgia, between the legal hours of sale, on the first Tuesday in September, 2025, the same being September 2nd, 2025, and continuing on September 3rd, 2025, if necessary between the legal hours of sale, 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM."
Registration and deposit
No online registration. Bidding is live and in person at the courthouse door. The notice states property is "sold for cash or certified funds at public outcry" and that the "Purchaser shall pay for title, all transfer costs, all taxes, advertising costs and recording fees." No separate pre-registration or deposit procedure is published, so confirm bidder requirements with the Tax Commissioner at 229-937-2689 before the sale.
Schley County runs a traditional Georgia courthouse-steps sale. There is no online auction platform and no online bidding. Sales proceed under tax fi. fa.s issued by the Tax Commissioner, as the 2025 notice states: "Under and by virtue of certain tax Fi. Fa.'s issued by the Tax Commissioner of Schley County, Georgia, in favor of the State of Georgia and County of Schley." The published list is parcel-by-parcel and shows map and parcel number, defendant in fi. fa., current record holder, amount due, tax years due, deed book, and legal description. Schley is a small rural county and does not hold a sale every month, so the Tax Commissioner posts each year's notice on its taxes page and under the Taxes heading of the county Documents page. Winning bidders receive a redeemable tax deed, not clear title. In person, public outcry at the Schley County Courthouse door in Ellaville
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Schley County Tax Commissioner
P.O. Box 326, Ellaville, GA 31806. Office located at the Court House Annex, 47 North Pecan Street, Ellaville, GA 31806.
Official websiteNotes for Schley County
- Schley County sells redeemable tax deeds in person at public outcry before the courthouse door in Ellaville. No online auction platform is used.
- The Tax Commissioner is the levying and selling office. The 2025 notice was issued under tax fi. fa.s from the Tax Commissioner of Schley County.
- Payment terms in the published notice are cash or certified funds, and the purchaser pays for title, all transfer costs, all taxes, advertising costs, and recording fees.
- Sale day follows the Georgia first-Tuesday rule. The 2025 sale was set for Tuesday, September 2, 2025, continuing September 3, 2025 if needed, with legal hours of 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
- Georgia law gives the owner a 12-month right of redemption at a 20 percent premium, with barment required before the deed ripens into fee simple. Buyers in Schley County should budget for the barment and quiet-title steps.
- The Tax Commissioner also lists an online property tax search and payment portal, which is for paying current bills and is not an auction platform.
- Sale notices are year-specific PDFs. Check the Tax Commissioner taxes page and the county Documents page for the current year before relying on any prior notice.
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 Schley County, Georgia sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Schley County follows Georgia's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Schley 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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