Gibson County, IN tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Gibson County, seat of Princeton: 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 Gibson County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Gibson County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual delinquent tax sale in early October. The county notice reads "Beginning 10:00 AM Local Time, October 06, 2025" and states that "The public auction will begin on 10/06/2025 at 10:00 AM local time" with properties commencing closing at 3:00 PM local time the same day.
Registration and deposit
Bidding is online only. Create a member account on the auction site, then register for the Gibson County auction specifically. The notice states bidders "must read, understand and agree to the rules of sale and payment terms," must complete IRS Form W-9, and must agree electronically to the registration statement described at IC 6-1.1-24-5.3(c). Under IC 6-1.1-24-5.1, a business entity must provide a Certificate of Existence or Foreign Registration Statement from the Indiana Secretary of State to the Gibson County Treasurer.
Gibson County sells tax lien certificates through an electronic sale conducted under IC 6-1.1-24-2(b)10 at www.zeusauction.com. Each parcel has its own posted closing time, so the auction closes in staggered batches rather than all at once. The minimum bid covers delinquent taxes and special assessments, taxes due in the year of sale, penalties, a $25 postage and publication charge, and other county costs attributable to the sale. Redemption is 110% of the minimum bid plus statutory additions such as attorney fees and title search costs. For certificates sold at the 2025 sale the redemption period expires October 6, 2026; for certificates struck to the county the notice gives a shorter period expiring February 3, 2026. Owners could remove a parcel from the 2025 sale by paying in cash or certified funds payable to the Gibson County Treasurer by 2:00 PM local time on Friday, October 3, 2025. The notice adds that under current Indiana law the sale is advertised only once in newspapers and that "Subsequent notices can be found at gibsoncounty-in.gov," and that a complete property list is available at www.sriservices.com. As of late July 2026 the county website still posts the 2025 notice as the most recent sale document, so confirm the current year's date and list with the Treasurer before planning a bid.
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 Gibson County
- The Treasurer's office lists Mary Ann O'Neal as Treasurer and posts hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, with a lunch closure from 11:15 am to 12:30 pm.
- The Gibson County Auditor, Michael A. Watkins, certifies the delinquent list and issues the tax deed. The Auditor's office is at 101 North Main Street, Princeton, phone 812-385-4927, and states that "The County Auditor is required to compile annually on July 1 lists of real estate on which tax is delinquent preliminary to its posting and offering as public sale."
- The notice states that the county auditor and county treasurer apply for a court judgment against the listed tracts before the sale, and that any defense must be filed with the Gibson County Superior Court.
- The Auditor and Treasurer reserve the right to withhold any parcel that was listed in error or that becomes ineligible before or during the sale, so the published list can shrink up to auction day.
- A large share of the 2025 list is oil, gas, and coal rights parcels rather than surface land, which is a due-diligence trap for buyers assuming every line item is a buildable lot.
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 Gibson County, Indiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Gibson County follows Indiana's tax lien state system.
When is the Gibson County tax certificate sale?
- Annual delinquent tax sale in early October. The county notice reads "Beginning 10:00 AM Local Time, October 06, 2025" and states that "The public auction will begin on 10/06/2025 at 10:00 AM local time" with properties commencing closing at 3:00 PM local time the same day.. 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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