Williamson County, IL tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Williamson County, seat of Marion: 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 Williamson County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Williamson County Treasurer, serving as ex officio Williamson County Collector (Ashley Gott, Treasurer)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Held annually in late January, starting at 9:00 a.m., with doors opening at 8:00 a.m. The county's own sale notices give firm past dates: "2022 Payable 2023 Tax Sale Date: Thursday, January 25, 2024" and "Date of Sale: January 23, 2025" for the following cycle. The current information sheet, titled "TAX SALE INFORMATION FOR 2025 PAYABLE 2026", lists the date and time as not yet set, so confirm the current year with the Treasurer's office. One caution: the county's separate tax-process guide page states the sale is "held annually in December", which conflicts with the dated notices on the registration forms. Treat the late-January dates on the signed forms as the better guide and verify by phone.
Registration and deposit
Registration opens about a month ahead and closes roughly ten days before the sale. The prior cycle ran "December 23, 2024-January 13, 2025"; the current sheet lists the deadline as not yet set. Submit the Williamson County Tax Sale Registration Form plus a newly completed W-9 and a $500 registration deposit check payable to the Williamson County Collector, executed pursuant to 35 ILCS 200/21-220. An electronic delinquent parcel list is optional at $200, non-refundable. Each registration allows one bidder number, and the county states that "Incomplete or late registrations will not be accepted." On sale day you must bring a blank check payable to the Williamson County Collector, with no exceptions, plus a USB drive if applicable. Notify the office five business days in advance if a substitute will bid for you. Failure to attend may forfeit the $500 deposit under 35 ILCS 200/21-220. Buyers who attend the entire sale but purchase nothing get the deposit refunded.
Williamson County runs its annual tax lien sale in person, not online. Bidding takes place in the Administrative Building, 2nd Floor Boardroom, 407 N. Monroe St., Marion, IL 62959. The county states the "Sale conducted using R.A.M.S. 2 system", an automated bidding setup supplied by Joseph E. Meyer & Associates in which "Lap top computers will be provided to each buyer." Because bids are entered in the room, no online auction platform is confirmed for this county; verify with the Treasurer's office before planning a remote bid. Bidding starts at 9% and, in the county's words, "taxes are sold to the first lowest bidder", so investors bid the penalty rate down. Any parcel drawing no bid becomes the property of Williamson County as Trustee. Sourcing caution: iltaxsale.com, operated by Joseph E. Meyer & Associates, publishes Williamson County listings, but those are the trustee's later sealed-bid sales of tax-deed and assignable-certificate inventory, one of which is listed for 11/06/2026. That is a separate sale from the county's annual certificate sale, and confusing the two is an easy mistake. The county's own PDF references iltaxsale.com only as a place to view a demo of the bidding software. Redemption is handled by the County Clerk rather than the Treasurer, and only cash, money order, or bank cashier's check is accepted. In person at the county Administrative Building, using the R.A.M.S. 2 automated bidding system
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 Williamson County
- Bidding is a rate bid-down starting at 9%, and the county awards to the first lowest bidder. In the tax year 2024 results, winning rates ran from 3.00% to 9.00% per redemption period.
- Many low-value parcels drew no investor bid and went to Williamson County as Trustee at 9.00%, so competition concentrates on higher-value parcels.
- Recurring institutional buyers in the 2024 results include Drake Securities LLC, RR Securities LLC, PN Investments LLC, Raven Securities Inc, JICTB Inc, Carniola Capital LLC, and Heartland Tax Auction.
- Per-parcel charges shown in the 2024 results were a $10.00 presale cost and a $94.00 postsale cost, added on top of taxes and penalty.
- The pre-sale delinquent parcel list is not published for free. It is an optional $200 non-refundable electronic purchase tied to registration, and the county restricts its use to the tax sale itself.
- After the sale, winning bids are emailed to each buyer and Certificates of Purchase are issued by certified mail once verified. Purchases must be posted in the Williamson County Clerk's Judgment Book.
- Redemption goes through the Williamson County Clerk and Recorder at 618-997-1301, 407 N Monroe, Marion, IL 62959. Owner-occupants have, per the county, "two and a half years during which to redeem their property." Payment must be in full by cash, money order, or bank cashier's check; Illinois law bars personal checks and credit cards.
- The Treasurer's office states it cannot provide legal advice and directs buyers to the Illinois Property Tax Code at 35 ILCS 200.
- Some published parcels are pulled before the sale for payment by the owner, bankruptcy, forfeiture, exemption, foreclosure, or court order.
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 Williamson County, Illinois sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Williamson County follows Illinois's tax lien state system.
When is the Williamson County tax certificate sale?
- Held annually in late January, starting at 9:00 a.m., with doors opening at 8:00 a.m. The county's own sale notices give firm past dates: "2022 Payable 2023 Tax Sale Date: Thursday, January 25, 2024" and "Date of Sale: January 23, 2025" for the following cycle. The current information sheet, titled "TAX SALE INFORMATION FOR 2025 PAYABLE 2026", lists the date and time as not yet set, so confirm the current year with the Treasurer's office. One caution: the county's separate tax-process guide page states the sale is "held annually in December", which conflicts with the dated notices on the registration forms. Treat the late-January dates on the signed forms as the better guide and verify by phone.. 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 Williamson 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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