Delaware County, IN tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Delaware County, seat of Muncie: 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 Delaware County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Delaware County Auditor's Office (Tax Sale Department)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The Auditor's tax sale page states: "Delaware County conducts one tax sale each year in the fall, typically in October." The 2024 sale ran Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 10:00 AM, with bidder instructions starting at 9:30 AM. SRI, the county's current sale vendor, states that Indiana sale dates "are normally finalized and posted by the end of June."
Registration and deposit
Pre-registration is required and must be completed online. The Auditor states: "To register for a tax sale or deed sale in Delaware County, you must first create an account at www.zeusauction.com. After creating an account, you may register for the specific sale you wish to participate in. Registration for each sale typically opens approximately one month prior to the sale date. You will receive an email notification once your registration has been approved." The Auditor's Office has no access to registrations and directs registration questions to SRI Services at 1-800-800-9588. Bidders must be at least 18, and all taxes owed in Delaware County must be current to be eligible.
Delaware County runs this sale in person, not online. The Auditor's page says: "Tax sales and Deed sales in Delaware County are conducted as IN-PERSON auctions only. Only the registration is online." The sale list is published on the Auditor's tax sale page, on SRIservices.com, and through required advertisements in The Star Press; the office does not provide printed copies but will email the list on request. As of late July 2026 the Auditor's page shows no upcoming sale posted yet, so confirm the date and venue with the office. Payment is due the same day as the auction, and a winning bidder who fails to pay may face a penalty of 25% of the bid. All sales are final. The 2024 sale was administered by Government Utilities Technology Service at Heartland Hall, Delaware County Fairgrounds, 1210 N Wheeling Ave in Muncie; the county's current page directs bidders to Zeus Auction and SRI instead, so verify the venue and vendor each year. In-person live auction at a county venue. Only bidder registration is online, through Zeus Auction, the SRI bidding platform.
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 Delaware County
- The Auditor's Office handles redemptions and issues the tax deed. Redemption runs one calendar year from the sale date and must be paid in full to the Auditor on the day of redemption by cash (exact change only), cashier's check, or wire transfer.
- Delaware County allows up to $500.00 for attorney costs and up to $250.00 for title search costs on Indiana Form 137B, and the documentation plus proof of payment must reach the Auditor's Office before the property is redeemed or the buyer is not reimbursed.
- The Treasurer's Office collects the delinquent taxes and sits at 100 W Main St, 1st Floor, Muncie, IN 47305, phone (765) 747-7808, open Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 3:45 PM.
- A Commissioners' Deed Sale is a separate event held after a tax sale where the property went unredeemed. The starting bid is a uniform amount set by the county rather than the taxes owed, and the winner receives a quitclaim deed with immediate ownership.
- In the 2024 sale the minimum bid covered all taxes, penalties, and special assessments due, including the fall installment, plus a $115.00 tax sale cost. Payment had to be cash, cashier's check, certified check, official check, or EFT. Personal and business checks were not accepted.
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 Delaware County, Indiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Delaware County follows Indiana's tax lien state system.
When is the Delaware County tax certificate sale?
- The Auditor's tax sale page states: "Delaware County conducts one tax sale each year in the fall, typically in October." The 2024 sale ran Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 10:00 AM, with bidder instructions starting at 9:30 AM. SRI, the county's current sale vendor, states that Indiana sale dates "are normally finalized and posted by the end of June.". 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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