Macoupin County, IL tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Macoupin County, seat of Carlinville: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 30, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Illinois tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Macoupin County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Macoupin County Treasurer / Ex-Officio Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual sale in November. The Treasurer's Delinquent Tax Sale Q&A states, "The delinquent tax sale will be held on November 23rd, 2026," and "The Tax Sale will begin at 10:30am." The County Clerk's redemption page describes the annual sale as taking place in mid-November. The Treasurer describes the Application for Judgment as the Monday before the tax sale, with newspaper advertising at least 10 days before that.
Registration and deposit
A $250.00 fee is required to register. Per the Treasurer's Q&A, "You must register in writing at least 10 business days before the sale by sending a letter to the Macoupin County Treasurer's Office, P.O. Box 20, Carlinville, IL 62626." The letter must include the name of the buyer to go on the certificate, the name of the person or persons buying at the sale, a mailing address, a telephone number, and an FEIN number. The county accepts personal checks, business checks, cashier's checks, or cash, and states that taxes must be paid immediately after the close of the tax sale.
Macoupin County runs its annual tax sale in person, not online. The Treasurer's Q&A places the sale "at the Macoupin County Courthouse, in the Treasurer's Office, 1st Floor, 201 E. Main St. Carlinville, IL 62626" and states that the format of the sale is automated but that a buyer or a representative must attend the sale to participate, ruling out bidding by mail. No online auction platform is confirmed for this county, so verify the format with the office before planning a remote bid. Buyers purchase the taxes rather than the property, and the county cautions that purchasing tax is a complex legal procedure and advises consulting an attorney or reviewing the Illinois Compiled Statutes first. The county states that all parcels will be sold at the sale, that the sale is final, that it does not clear other liens from the property, and that it is the tax buyer's responsibility to follow the procedures needed to acquire a deed. There is no online delinquent list. Copies of the judgment book cost a $100.00 prepaid fee and are mailed when available. Redemption is handled by a separate office: the County Clerk at 217-854-3214. In-person auction at the Macoupin County Courthouse, no online bidding platform
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Sheriff or a court-appointed private selling officer, under an order of the circuit court. A county acting as trustee runs its own tax deed auctions.
- Frequency
- as ordered by the circuit court
- Typical timing
- Within 120 days after the court order authorizing the auction. Public Act 104-0553 created this route for tax certificates issued on or after July 10, 2026, so the earliest Illinois judicial tax deed auctions fall in 2027, after the 1 year short redemption track runs.
Registration and deposit
Terms of a judicial tax deed auction, including whether it runs online, in person, or both, and what deposit is required, are set in the court's order and published in the notice of tax deed auction. That notice runs once a week for 3 consecutive weeks, starting no more than 45 days and ending no less than 7 days before the auction. Read the notice for each parcel; there is no statewide platform or standing bidder registration.
Bidding opens at the tax deed judgment amount plus 0.75 percent per month since judgment, plus publication and selling officer costs. The petitioning certificate holder is entered as a credit bidder at that minimum. Surplus above the minimum goes to the county treasurer for the former owner to claim.
Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Certificates nobody bids on at the annual sale are forfeited to the county as trustee for the taxing districts. The county may then assign a forfeited certificate to any party or sell property it has acquired, which many counties handle through a delinquent tax agent rather than a public counter. Counties may also offer county-held certificates at a scavenger sale with a minimum bid of $250, or half the tax when total liability is under $500. Ask the county collector and the county clerk which program the county runs and who may buy.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Macoupin County
- The sale is in person. The Treasurer's Delinquent Tax Sale Q&A answers the question about bidding by mail or by a representative with the statement that the format of the tax sale is automated and that the buyer or a representative must attend the sale to participate. No online auction platform is confirmed for this county, so confirm the format with the Treasurer's office before planning to bid remotely.
- Two offices split the process. The County Clerk's tax redemption page states that after the tax sale the County Treasurer turns over responsibility for collection to the County Clerk. Redemption contacts are 217-854-3214, [email protected], and 201 E Main St, P.O. Box 107, Carlinville, IL 62626. Redemption funds must be cash, certified funds, or a money order payable to the Macoupin County Clerk.
- The County Clerk's page describes tax buyers bidding interest percentages ranging from 18% to 0%, and gives owners a period of 2 1/2 to 3 years to redeem before losing the property.
- Payment at the sale is due immediately after it closes. The county accepts personal checks, business checks, cashier's checks, or cash.
- There is no online delinquent or sale list. The Treasurer advertises in county newspapers at least 10 days before the Application for Judgment, which the office describes as the Monday before the tax sale, and sells copies of the judgment book for a $100.00 prepaid fee.
- The Macoupin County Property Tax Inquiry portal at macoupinil.devnetwedge.com supports parcel, owner, address, and mobile home lookups only. It publishes no delinquent tax list, sale list, or certificate purchase information.
- A separate secondary channel exists for parcels the county already holds. Joseph E. Meyer & Associates serves as Macoupin County Trustee, and the Treasurer's Delinquent Tax Liquidation section says the office can give details on the availability of tax lien certificates for purchase or through assignment purchasing. The trustee runs a Macoupin County Surplus Real Estate Public Auction by sealed bid, with bid forms available online or in the Treasurer's office and bids submitted to the Treasurer's office in person or by mail. The county lists the tax agent at 800-248-2850 or 618-656-5744, and ILTaxSale.com shows a Macoupin County sealed-bid real estate auction dated 09/25/2026.
- The Treasurer's Delinquent Tax Liquidation section still shows an expired last day to bid of September 26th, 2025, so treat trustee deadlines on that page as stale and confirm current dates with the tax agent by phone.
- Several third-party aggregator sites publish Macoupin County tax sale pages and sell access to lists. None of them conducts this county's sale. Treat the Treasurer's office as the only authority on the date, registration, and list.
Illinois statewide rules
- Redemption
- Property sold at an Illinois tax sale may be redeemed at any time before the redemption period expires. Public Act 104-0553 set the standard period at 3 years from the date of sale for tax certificates issued on or after July 10, 2026. Certificates issued between January 1, 2024 and July 9, 2026 run on the earlier 2.5 year (30 month) track, and on that track the certificate holder could file a written notice with the county clerk extending redemption to a date no later than 3 years from the sale. A short 1 year period applies when the parcel was, on the date of sale, vacant non-farm property, commercial or industrial property, or improved with a structure holding 7 or more residential units. Certificates the county holds or assigns as trustee run on their own schedule under Section 21-385, and an assignee must file notice within 60 days of assignment setting a redemption deadline no later than 3 years from the assignment.
- Deed deposit
- Illinois does not fix a statutory deposit percentage. Deposit and payment terms are set in the court's order authorizing the auction and by the selling officer, so read the notice of tax deed auction for each sale. A purchaser who fails to complete the sale forfeits any deposit already made to the county surplus equity fund, and the court orders a new auction of the property.
- Surplus proceeds
- Any amount by which the winning bid exceeds the minimum bid is surplus. Within 30 days after the court confirms the sale the selling officer deposits the surplus with the county treasurer, who notifies everyone who received the Section 22-10 take notice that the owner at the time of the sale may file a claim for it. A county running its own tax deed auction deposits surplus with the treasurer within 30 days of the sale and notifies interested parties within 60 days. Separately, a previous owner who lost equity through a tax deed can claim an award from the county surplus equity fund, capped at the value of the property when the deed issued less mortgages, liens, and the taxes the purchaser paid.
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 Macoupin County, Illinois sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Macoupin County follows Illinois's tax lien state system.
When is the Macoupin County tax certificate sale?
- Annual sale in November. The Treasurer's Delinquent Tax Sale Q&A states, "The delinquent tax sale will be held on November 23rd, 2026," and "The Tax Sale will begin at 10:30am." The County Clerk's redemption page describes the annual sale as taking place in mid-November. The Treasurer describes the Application for Judgment as the Monday before the tax sale, with newspaper advertising at least 10 days before that.. Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the Tax Collector before the sale.
How often does Macoupin County hold tax deed sales?
- as ordered by the circuit court. 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.
Explore all 102 Illinois counties
Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.