Whitfield County, GA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Whitfield County, seat of Dalton: 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 Whitfield County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Whitfield County Tax Commissioner's Office (Danny W. Sane, Tax Commissioner)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- One sale per year, in October. The Tax Commissioner's Tax Sales page states: "Whitfield County holds one tax sale a year on the first Tuesday in October at 10am." Eligibility is set by the age of the debt: "In Whitfield County, any property that has tax which is 3 years delinquent, is subject to a tax sale."
Registration and deposit
No online registration and no online bidding. The Tax Commissioner states: "Bidders or a representative must be present to bid - mail, phone, or faxed bids are not accepted. 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." Settlement is immediate: "Payment is due immediately after the sale. Payment via cash, cashier's check, money orders, or personal checks are accepted. However, if payment is made by personal check, the clerk will verify the funds prior to processing the payment. A driver's license or photo ID is required." Confirm bidder requirements with the office at (706) 275-7510 before the sale date.
Whitfield County runs its redeemable tax deed sale IN PERSON, live public outcry, with no online auction platform. Bidders or their representative must attend. The county sells deeds only, not liens: "Whitfield County does not sell tax liens." There is no downloadable parcel list. The Tax Commissioner publishes the list of properties in the Friday edition of the Dalton Daily Citizen for 4 weeks before the sale, and will supply a copy on request in the office or by email to [email protected]. The Tax Sales page does not state the physical sale venue, so confirm the location with the office before traveling. Winning bidders receive a Sheriff's tax deed. The office warns that possession is restricted during redemption: the purchaser "cannot take physical possession of the property, make any improvements or deletions to the property, or evict any tenants on the property for 12 months or until the Right of Redemption is closed." Redemption tracks the state rule: the right of redemption "must be open for no less than 12 months following the tax sale," and redeeming costs "payment of purchaser's bid amount, any additional taxes paid, plus 20%" paid to the purchaser, with ownership and liens reverting to the time of sale. The office does not assist with redemption or barment and refers buyers to an attorney. Overbid proceeds are held as excess funds by the Tax Commissioner for 5 years, then remitted to the State of Georgia as unclaimed funds; claims go to the county attorney for distribution by lien priority and must be emailed to [email protected]. On the road to sale, the office notes that after 120 days delinquent it records a lien against the property and owner in the Clerk of Court's Office and on the General Execution Docket, adding $12 and $10 fees. The office also advises that it is "not knowledgeable of, nor responsible for, the condition of any property going to tax sale" and recommends full research before bidding.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Whitfield County
- Sale is in person with no online platform. Bidders or a representative must be present; mail, phone, and faxed bids are not accepted.
- One sale a year, first Tuesday in October at 10am, per the Tax Commissioner's Tax Sales page.
- Only property with tax 3 years delinquent is subject to sale. The county sells redeemable tax deeds, not tax liens.
- The Tax Sales page does not publish the sale venue. Confirm the location with the Tax Commissioner at (706) 275-7510 before the sale.
- No online parcel list. The list runs in the Friday edition of the Dalton Daily Citizen for 4 weeks before the sale, and is available on request from the office or at [email protected].
- Payment is due immediately after the sale by cash, cashier's check, money order, or personal check, with photo ID required. Personal checks are verified before processing.
- Purchaser receives a Sheriff's tax deed and cannot take possession, improve the property, or evict tenants for 12 months or until the right of redemption is closed.
- Redemption costs the bid amount plus any additional taxes paid plus 20%, matching O.C.G.A. section 48-4-42.
- Excess funds are held by the Tax Commissioner for 5 years, then sent to the State of Georgia as unclaimed funds. Claims are emailed to [email protected] and routed to the county attorney.
- The Tax Commissioner's website is whitfieldpay.com, linked as Tax Commissioner from whitfieldcountyga.com. Tax bill search and payment run through whitfieldcountyga.governmentwindow.com.
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 Whitfield County, Georgia sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Whitfield County follows Georgia's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Whitfield 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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