Blackford County, IN tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Blackford County, seat of Hartford City: 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 Indiana tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Blackford County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Blackford County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Late September. SRI Incorporated, the firm Blackford County contracts to administer its tax sale, lists the county sale for September 30, 2026 at 10:00 AM at the "Courthouse 2nd Floor"; the prior year's sale ran September 26, 2025 at the same time and place. SRI's knowledge base states that "Indiana tax sales are typically held in late August through October" and that "Sales dates are normally finalized and posted by the end of June on our corporate website."
Registration and deposit
SRI records the Blackford County tax sale as an in-person auction and publishes no online registration window for it, so bidders attend at the courthouse rather than bidding remotely. Confirm registration paperwork, deposit terms, and the required bidder affidavit with the Blackford County Auditor at 765-348-1620 or the Blackford County Treasurer at 765-348-2504 before sale day.
Blackford County runs its tax sale in person, not online. SRI Incorporated lists the auction at the Blackford County Courthouse, second floor, at 10:00 AM, with September 30, 2026 as the posted date and September 26, 2025 as the prior sale. No online bidding platform is confirmed for this county, so plan to attend in person or send a representative, and verify with the office before traveling. SRI does run online auctions for some Indiana counties on Zeus Auction, but Blackford County's tax sale is not listed as an online sale. The county's own Treasurer and Auditor pages carry no tax sale section, so SRI's Blackford County page and the two county offices are where to confirm the current date, the advertised property list, and bidder requirements. SRI posts the property listing roughly one month before the auction. Legal notices for the county publish in the Hartford City News Times and the Montpelier Herald. In person at the Blackford County Courthouse, second floor, with the sale administered by SRI Incorporated
From lien to deed
Indiana holds no general public tax deed auction. Once the redemption period runs out, the certificate holder files a verified petition in the same court that entered the judgment of sale, and the court directs the county auditor to issue the deed. That petition must be filed no later than three months after the redemption period expires, or the purchaser's lien terminates. One narrow exception exists: real property a county, city, or town executive has certified as vacant or abandoned is auctioned separately, and there the county auditor deeds fee simple title straight to the highest bidder with no right of redemption.
Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Parcels that draw no bid at the treasurer's tax sale pass to the county executive, which acquires a lien for the minimum sale price and receives a tax sale certificate. The county executive may then adopt a resolution and offer those certificates at a separate advertised public sale, often called the commissioners' certificate sale, priced below the minimum bid that failed at the tax sale. Notice runs once a week for three consecutive weeks with the final advertisement at least 30 days before the sale. This is a scheduled sale rather than a walk-in list, and redemption on a certificate bought this way is 120 days. Check the county auditor page for the next commissioners' certificate sale date.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
110 West Washington Street, Hartford City, IN 47348 (mailing: P.O. Box 453, Hartford City, IN 47348)
Official websiteNotes for Blackford County
- The Blackford County Treasurer's office is open Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm, and collects real estate, personal property, business personal property, mobile home, and ditch assessment taxes.
- The Blackford County Auditor is at 110 West Washington Street, Hartford City, IN 47348, phone 765-348-1620, fax 765-348-7222. In Indiana the Auditor handles the tax sale notice and issues the tax deed after redemption expires.
- SRI Incorporated's county record lists Amanda Leas as Treasurer and Lisa Simmons as Auditor for Blackford County.
- Neither the county Treasurer page nor the county Auditor page hosts a tax sale section, so the sale date and property list live on the administrator's site rather than on blackfordcounty.com.
- SRI also schedules a separate in-person sheriff's foreclosure auction for Blackford County at 0064 N 500 E, Hartford City, IN 47348. That is a mortgage foreclosure sale, not the tax lien sale, and should not be confused with it.
Indiana statewide rules
- Redemption
- The standard period is one year after the date of the treasurer's tax sale. Several tracks run 120 days instead: a certificate bought at the county executive's certificate sale, a lien the county executive holds that was never sold on, a sale to a purchasing agency qualified under IC 36-7-17 or IC 36-7-17.1, a certificate the county executive assigns to another political subdivision, and a parcel that was not offered at the tax sale at all. Property on the county auditor's vacant and abandoned list carries no right of redemption after its sale. A county treasurer may also extend redemption by agreement with the owner, in which case the extended period ends one year after the date of that agreement.
- Surplus proceeds
- The treasurer applies the payment first to the taxes, assessments, penalties, and costs in the minimum bid, then to other delinquent property taxes, then deposits the remainder in a tax sale surplus fund. The owner of record at the time the parcel was certified for sale, or the purchaser on a redemption, may file a verified claim against that fund. Unclaimed surplus transfers to the county general fund three years after it was received.
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 Blackford County, Indiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Blackford County follows Indiana's tax lien state system.
When is the Blackford County tax certificate sale?
- Late September. SRI Incorporated, the firm Blackford County contracts to administer its tax sale, lists the county sale for September 30, 2026 at 10:00 AM at the "Courthouse 2nd Floor"; the prior year's sale ran September 26, 2025 at the same time and place. SRI's knowledge base states that "Indiana tax sales are typically held in late August through October" and that "Sales dates are normally finalized and posted by the end of June on our corporate website.". Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the Tax Collector before the sale.
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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