Hancock County, IN tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Hancock County, seat of Greenfield: 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 Hancock County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Hancock County Treasurer's Office
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The county Tax Sale page states: "The 2026 Hancock County Tax Sale will be held online at http://zeusauction.com/. The online sale will be held on Friday, September 18, 2026, starting at 10 am." Bidding closes in staggered batches: Batch 1 from 10:00am to 3:30pm EST, Batch 2 from 10:00am to 4:00pm EST, and a last batch from 4:10pm to 4:30pm EST if one is needed.
Registration and deposit
SRI Incorporated conducts the sale on the Zeus Auction platform. Bidders create an account on Zeus Auction and then register specifically for the Hancock County sale. SRI provides system support at 800-800-9588. The county states payment must be cash, cashier's check, certified funds, or wire transfer, and that no personal checks are accepted. For the 2026 sale the county set a payment deadline of 12:00 pm EST on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Hancock County runs a fully online tax lien certificate sale through Zeus Auction, the SRI Incorporated bidding platform. The Treasurer's Office administers the sale and the Auditor's Office handles the later tax deed side. The county states the minimum bid covers all delinquencies, tax sale fees, and current year taxes. The advertisement PDF posted on the county Tax Sale page is the prior year edition, so confirm the current parcel list with the Treasurer's Office before the sale.
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 Hancock County
- The Treasurer's Office is led by Jane L. Klemme and is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm, with a fax line at 317-477-1726.
- The Auditor's Office, at 111 South American Legion Place, Suite 217, Greenfield, IN 46140, phone 317-477-1105, is the office on the tax deed side and is led by Debra A. Carnes.
- The county Auditor page also links a Hancock County Sheriff's sale, which covers foreclosure and court-ordered property sales. That is a separate process from the tax lien certificate sale and should not be confused with it.
- The county Tax Sale page links the advertisement as a Document Center PDF rather than a live parcel search, so the sale list is a static document refreshed ahead of each annual sale.
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 Hancock County, Indiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Hancock County follows Indiana's tax lien state system.
When is the Hancock County tax certificate sale?
- The county Tax Sale page states: "The 2026 Hancock County Tax Sale will be held online at http://zeusauction.com/. The online sale will be held on Friday, September 18, 2026, starting at 10 am." Bidding closes in staggered batches: Batch 1 from 10:00am to 3:30pm EST, Batch 2 from 10:00am to 4:00pm EST, and a last batch from 4:10pm to 4:30pm EST if one is needed.. 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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