White County, IL tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in White County, seat of Carmi: 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 White County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- White County Treasurer's Office, the Treasurer serving as ex officio County Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Late January. The county's tax sale registration affidavit reads: "I hereby register for the White County Tax Sale to be held on January 30, 2026 @ 1:00p.m. at the White County Annex building located at 323 E. Main St. Carmi, IL 62821." That is the most recent sale date the county has posted, so confirm the current year's date with the Treasurer's office before registering.
Registration and deposit
File a tax buyer registration form and sworn affidavit with the Treasurer's office, with a $50.00 deposit. The Tax Sale Info page states: "YOU ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE YOUR TAX BUYER REGISTRATION FORM ON FILE IN OUR OFFICE 10 DAYS BEFORE THE TAX SALE." The affidavit form gives the cutoff as 10 business days before the sale, listed as January 19, 2026 for the January 30, 2026 sale, and requires a W-9 with the buyer's EIN or Social Security number plus a sworn statement that the bidder holds no economic interest in any parcel offered. The $50.00 deposit is applied to purchases, may be refunded if you attend but buy nothing, and "WILL BE FORFEITED IF YOU DO NOT ATTEND THE SALE." One buyer per registration may bid, and you or your registered representative must be physically present at the sale to bid.
White County sells delinquent taxes, not real estate. The Treasurer's Tax Sale Info page warns in full caps that "WHEN YOU PURCHASE AT THE TAX SALE, YOU ARE PURCHASING TAXES, NOT PROPERTY," that it is a complex legal procedure, and that buyers should consult an attorney and review the Illinois Compiled Statutes first. The sale is conducted in person: "THE SALE WILL BE CONDUCTED BY OUR COUNTY TAX AGENT, JOSEPH E. MEYER & ASSOCIATES OF EDWARDSVILLE, IL AND WILL BE R.A.M.S. 2 FORMAT," and bidders or their registered representatives must be physically present. Under R.A.M.S. 2 buyers hand in their percentage bids as files rather than calling bids in live open outcry, each parcel goes to the lowest bid, and tied lowest bids are resolved by random selection. There is no online bidding platform for this annual certificate sale, so verify logistics with the Treasurer's office. Sale lists are released about 30 days ahead: "LISTS OF PROPERTIES INCLUDED IN THE TAX SALE WILL BECOME AVAILABLE 30 DAYS PRIOR TO THE SALE FOR A $50.00 PREPAID FEE," available in the Treasurer's office and on the county tax agent's website. Redemption runs through a different office; the Treasurer directs redemption questions to the White County Clerk at 618-382-7211. Do not confuse the annual certificate sale with the county's separate Sealed Bid Auction of trustee-held tax deed property, which carries a starting bid of $830.00, most recently closed on December 12, 2025, is next listed for December 11, 2026, and accepts bids by mail, in person, or online through the trustee's bidding site. The tax agent also sells a list of assignable tax lien certificates for $25.00. In person at the White County Annex, using R.A.M.S. 2 (Randomized Auction Management System) bid files collected by the county tax agent
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 White County
- Treasurer is Mike Baxley; deputy treasurers are Charlotte Kennedy and Brandie Rawlinson. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- The annual tax sale is held at the White County Government Annex, 323 E. Main St., Carmi, IL 62821, the same address as the Treasurer's office.
- The county posts 2025 payable 2026 installment due dates of September 10, 2026 and November 10, 2026, which sets up the delinquency that feeds the following annual tax sale.
- Redemption amounts and certificates of redemption go through the White County Clerk at 323 E. Main St., P.O. Box 339, Carmi, IL 62821, phone (618) 382-7211, not the Treasurer.
- Parcel research and tax bills are available through the county's DEVNET WEDGE property search, and current-year payments through the county's MuniPay portal, both linked from the Treasurer's tax page.
- The Treasurer's Tax Sale Info page links directly to 35 ILCS 200 Article 21 (delinquencies and the annual sale) and Article 22 (tax deeds) on the Illinois General Assembly site, matching the statewide statutory framework.
- The county calls Joseph E. Meyer & Associates both its "COUNTY TAX AGENT" for the annual sale and its "COUNTY TRUSTEE" for the sealed bid auctions, so the same vendor appears in two different roles.
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 White County, Illinois sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- White County follows Illinois's tax lien state system.
When is the White County tax certificate sale?
- Late January. The county's tax sale registration affidavit reads: "I hereby register for the White County Tax Sale to be held on January 30, 2026 @ 1:00p.m. at the White County Annex building located at 323 E. Main St. Carmi, IL 62821." That is the most recent sale date the county has posted, so confirm the current year's date with the Treasurer's office before registering.. 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 White 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.
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