Jefferson County, IN tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Jefferson County, seat of Madison: 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 Jefferson County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Jefferson County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The Treasurer's office "Conducts annual real estate tax sale." The SRI listing linked from that page shows the county's next tax sale on 09/14/2026 at 10:00 AM.
Registration and deposit
SRI Incorporated administers the sale for the county. SRI's Jefferson County listing pairs this in-person sale with online bidder registration on the Zeus Auction platform at zeusauction.com, where a bidder creates an account, selects an auction, and applies before bidding. Confirm registration cutoffs and the bidder certification paperwork with the Treasurer's office before sale day.
The sale is conducted in person, not through an online auction. SRI's Jefferson County listing records it as an in-person Tax Sale at 10:00 AM on 09/14/2026 at the EMA Building, 620 Green Road, Madison, IN 47250, so no online platform is confirmed for the bidding itself. Registration is handled online through Zeus, SRI's auction platform. The Treasurer conducts the sale and the Auditor's office handles the deed side, including selling a printed tax sale list at $0.10 per page. Both the Treasurer and Auditor pages link to the same SRI property listing for the county's sale. In person at the EMA Building, 620 Green Road, Madison, IN 47250
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)
300 E Main Street, Room 105, Madison, IN 47250 (mailing address: P.O. Box 99, Madison, IN 47250)
Official websiteNotes for Jefferson County
- Treasurer Meghan Hoskins, phone 812-265-8910 ext. 1530, fax 812-273-5492. Office hours are listed as 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- The county's main switchboard is 812-265-8900 at 300 East Main Street, Madison, IN 47250.
- Auditor Heather Huff, phone 812-265-8907, is at 300 E Main Street, Room 101, Madison, IN 47250. The Auditor's page sells the tax sale list at $0.10 per page and links to the same SRI tax sale portal.
- The Treasurer's page also links generally to SRI Services at sriservices.com for tax sale and sheriff sale information.
- Bidding happens at the EMA Building rather than the courthouse, so plan travel to 620 Green Road in Madison rather than 300 East Main Street.
- Sale dates move year to year. Re-check the SRI listing for the county before relying on the September date.
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 Jefferson County, Indiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Jefferson County follows Indiana's tax lien state system.
When is the Jefferson County tax certificate sale?
- The Treasurer's office "Conducts annual real estate tax sale." The SRI listing linked from that page shows the county's next tax sale on 09/14/2026 at 10:00 AM.. 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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