Decatur County, IN tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Decatur County, seat of Greensburg: 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 Decatur County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Decatur County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The Treasurer's duties page states: "Conduct Annual Tax Sale pursuant to Indiana Statute I.C. 6-1:1-24. Properties for Tax Sale will be certified on July 1st of each year. Tax Sale date will be published in Newspaper." The county publishes no standing sale-date page, so the exact date changes each year and appears first in the newspaper legal notice. The most recent annual tax sale documents the county posted are property status reports printed on September 20, September 24, September 27 and October 4, 2024, which places the recent annual sale in early fall. The separate Commissioners' Certificate Sale of unsold parcels was advertised to begin at "10:00 AM Local Time, March 25, 2026" at the County Courthouse Meeting Room, though the Commissioners later cancelled that sale.
Registration and deposit
Register with the Decatur County Treasurer's office ahead of the sale. The county's sale notice states: "Pursuant to IC 6-1.1-24-5.1, a business entity that seeks to register to bid in an Indiana Commissioners' Certificate Sale must provide to the county treasurer, a Certificate of Existence or Foreign Registration Statement in accordance with IC 5-23 from the Secretary of State." It also requires that "Prior to bidding at a tax sale, each bidder must affirm under the penalties for perjury that he or she does not owe delinquent taxes, special assessments, penalties, interest, costs directly attributable to a prior tax sale" or other county judgments and civil penalties, and warns that a bid made in violation of that statement is subject to forfeiture. The Auditor's cancellation notice confirms the county keeps a pre-registered bidder list and emails those bidders directly. If the county moves an auction online, bidders must also create an account on the Zeus Auction platform.
Decatur County holds its auctions in person. The county's own sale notice sets the venue as the County Courthouse Meeting Room in Greensburg and adds that "At the discretion of local officials, the tax sale may switch to an online format. If those measures are taking place, the public auction will be conducted as an electronic sale under IC 6-1.1-24-2(b)10 at www.zeusauction.com commencing on the same date / time listed above. All location updates will be posted at www.sriservices.com prior to the tax sale." Treat online bidding as a contingency the county may or may not use in a given year, and confirm the venue with the Treasurer before the sale. Three offices split the work: the Treasurer conducts the annual tax sale under IC 6-1.1-24 and takes bidder registrations, the Auditor certifies the parcel list and signs the published notices, and the Board of Commissioners holds the follow-on Commissioners' Certificate Sale of parcels that drew no bid. SRI Incorporated administers the sale for the county; the tax sale lists the county posts are printed by the Auditor from SRI's tax sale management system, and the sale notice directs bidders to sriservices.com for the complete property list. The 2025 Commissioners' Certificate Sale, advertised for 10:00 AM on March 25, 2026 with 24 parcels at $100 minimum bids, was cancelled. The Auditor's notice dated March 16, 2026 reads: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Commissioners have voted to cancel the 2025 Certificate Sale. This was to be held on Wednesday, March 25, 2026." No replacement date has been posted, so verify the next sale date with the Treasurer. The county homepage carries a Public Notices section where sale notices appear; it was empty when checked on July 29, 2026. SRI Incorporated (live auction at the county courthouse)
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)
Notes for Decatur County
- The Treasurer conducts the annual tax sale under IC 6-1.1-24 and certifies the parcel list on July 1 each year. The sale date is published in the newspaper rather than on a standing county web page.
- Auctions are held live at the County Courthouse Meeting Room in Greensburg. The county reserves the right to switch to an electronic sale at zeusauction.com and says any venue change is posted at sriservices.com before the sale.
- SRI Incorporated administers the sale. The tax sale lists the county posts are printed by the Auditor from SRI's tax sale management system.
- The Auditor's office (150 Courthouse Square, Suite 133, Greensburg, IN 47240, phone 812-663-2570) certifies the sale list, signs the published notices and issues tax deeds. Auditor Christy Smiley signed the 2025 certificate sale notice and its cancellation.
- The 2025 Commissioners' Certificate Sale scheduled for 10:00 AM on March 25, 2026 was cancelled by the Commissioners on March 16, 2026. Pre-registered bidders were notified by email and no replacement date has been posted.
- Parcel and assessment research for Decatur County runs through the Beacon site linked from the Treasurer's property tax information page.
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 Decatur County, Indiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Decatur County follows Indiana's tax lien state system.
When is the Decatur County tax certificate sale?
- The Treasurer's duties page states: "Conduct Annual Tax Sale pursuant to Indiana Statute I.C. 6-1:1-24. Properties for Tax Sale will be certified on July 1st of each year. Tax Sale date will be published in Newspaper." The county publishes no standing sale-date page, so the exact date changes each year and appears first in the newspaper legal notice. The most recent annual tax sale documents the county posted are property status reports printed on September 20, September 24, September 27 and October 4, 2024, which places the recent annual sale in early fall. The separate Commissioners' Certificate Sale of unsold parcels was advertised to begin at "10:00 AM Local Time, March 25, 2026" at the County Courthouse Meeting Room, though the Commissioners later cancelled that 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.
Explore all 92 Indiana counties
Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.