Daviess County, IN tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Daviess County, seat of Washington: 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 Daviess County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Daviess County Treasurer's Office
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Daviess County holds its annual tax sale in the fall. SRI's county page lists the next one as "Tax Sale, Wednesday, September 16, 2026" with "Sale Hours 10:00 AM" and "Sale Location: Online - www.zeusauction.com". The county Treasurer's page confirms the office "Conducts annual real estate tax sale".
Registration and deposit
Bidding happens through a Zeus Auction account. Zeus lists the steps as create an account, select and apply for an auction, view listings once approved, then bid; accounts are opened at zeusauction.com/register.php. The Treasurer's Office adds an eligibility condition: "If you are planning to bid on any tax sale properties you cannot owe any delinquent taxes. Please check with our office prior to the sale date."
SRI Incorporated administers the sale for the county and hosts it online on the Zeus Auction platform; the Treasurer's Office and the Auditor's Office both point the public to the SRI website for general tax sale and Commissioner's Certificate sale information. To pull a parcel off the sale, the Treasurer requires payment in full "no later than Noon on the day before the tax sale", in certified funds (cash, cashier's checks, money orders) payable to the Daviess County Treasurer. The SRI property list for this county was empty when checked in late July 2026, so the parcel list had not been posted yet for the September sale; check back closer to the date. SRI's Daviess County page also shows a separate in-person Foreclosure Auction on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at the Daviess County Sheriff's Office, 101 NE 4th Street, Washington. That is a mortgage foreclosure sheriff sale, not the tax sale. The same page shows zero scheduled Commissioner's Certificate sales and zero deed sales for this county at present.
Register on SRI / ZEUSFrom 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)
Notes for Daviess County
- The Treasurer, Jamie Chapman, runs the annual real estate tax sale; the Auditor, Jennifer Welsh, handles the tax deed side. The Auditor's Office is at 300 E Hefron Street, Washington, IN 47501, phone 812-254-8662.
- Both county offices link out to sriservices.com for tax sale and Commissioner's Certificate sale information rather than hosting the rules themselves.
- The Treasurer's "Important Dates" page was still showing 2025 property tax installment dates when checked, so treat it as stale and confirm current deadlines by phone.
- SRI lists the Odon Journal and the Washington Times-Herald as the county's legal notice newspapers for tax sale advertising.
- Daviess County pays property taxes through lowtaxinfo.com and offers parcel search through engage.xsoftinc.com/daviess, which are useful for pre-bid research on delinquency status.
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 Daviess County, Indiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Daviess County follows Indiana's tax lien state system.
When is the Daviess County tax certificate sale?
- Daviess County holds its annual tax sale in the fall. SRI's county page lists the next one as "Tax Sale, Wednesday, September 16, 2026" with "Sale Hours 10:00 AM" and "Sale Location: Online - www.zeusauction.com". The county Treasurer's page confirms the office "Conducts annual real estate tax sale".. 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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