Jennings County, IN tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Jennings County, seat of Vernon: 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 Jennings County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Jennings County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The most recent posted sale is the Commissioners' Certificate Sale, advertised as "Beginning 10:00 AM Local Time, February 12, 2026" and "by public auction on 02/12/2026 at 10:00 AM Courthouse Time at Commissioners' Meeting Room". The notice is dated 01/02/2026 and covers 345 parcels. Jennings County has not posted a date for its next annual tax sale under IC 6-1.1-24-5.
Registration and deposit
Bidders register with the county before the auction. Under IC 6-1.1-24-5.1 a business entity that seeks to register to bid must provide the county treasurer a Certificate of Existence or Foreign Registration Statement from the Indiana Secretary of State. Each bidder must also affirm under penalties for perjury that the bidder does not owe delinquent taxes, special assessments, penalties, interest, costs attributable to a prior tax sale, amounts from a final adjudication in favor of a political subdivision in the county, building code or ordinance civil penalties, or health department civil penalties. A successful bid made in violation of that statement is subject to forfeiture, and the bid amount is applied to the ineligible bidder's obligations with the certificate issued to the county executive. If officials switch the sale to the online format, Zeus Auction requires creating an account, applying to the auction, receiving approval, then bidding.
This is an in person sale as noticed. The advertisement sets the auction in the Commissioners' Meeting Room at the courthouse and only conditionally moves it online: "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." No online platform is confirmed as the standing venue for this county, so confirm the format with the Treasurer before each sale. Two different Indiana sales apply here. The annual tax sale under IC 6-1.1-24-5 sells tax sale certificates on delinquent parcels. The Commissioners' Certificate Sale under IC 6-1.1-24-6.1 is the second chance sale for parcels that drew no qualifying bid at the annual sale, and its minimum prices are lower: the notice states the listed minimums "are less than the minimum sale prices when offered in the immediately preceding county tax sale held under Section 5 of IC 6-1.1-24". Most 2026 parcels carried a $350 minimum. Redemption on a Commissioners' certificate requires the last IC 6-1.1-24-5 minimum bid amount, ten percent of the amount for which the certificate is sold, attorney fees and notice costs under IC 6-1.1-25-4.5, title search or abstract costs, all taxes and special assessments the purchaser paid after the sale plus ten percent per annum on those, and all costs of sale and advertising. Property descriptions may be omitted for parcels appearing on the certified list in consecutive years, and a complete property list may be obtained at www.sriservices.com or in an alternative form on request. The Auditor's office does not warrant the accuracy of published key numbers or street addresses, and the Commissioners reserve the right to withhold any parcel before or during the auction. Because the law now requires only one newspaper publication, the county directs bidders to its own Treasurer page for subsequent notices. County Auditor Sarah Abel certifies the parcel list and the Auditor issues the tax deed after the redemption period. Live public auction in the Jennings County Commissioners' Meeting Room, administered with SRI Services, Inc. The notice reserves an option to move the sale online to Zeus Auction.
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)
200 East Brown Street, Vernon, IN 47282 (mailing address: P.O. Box 368, Vernon, IN 47282)
Official websiteNotes for Jennings County
- The Treasurer's office is at 200 East Brown Street in Vernon, the county seat, and is open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Treasurer: Tina Brison.
- The Auditor's office shares the same building at 200 East Brown Street, Vernon, with a separate mailing address of P.O. Box 383, Vernon, IN 47282, and a phone of (812) 352-3016. Auditor: Sarah Abel.
- Property tax installments for 2026 were posted as due Monday, May 11, 2026 and Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Parcels reach the tax sale certified list after those installments go delinquent.
- The county website has no standalone tax sale page. Sale advertisements are posted as downloads on the Treasurer page, and the official notice itself points readers back to that page for subsequent notices.
- Jennings County uses the WTH GIS parcel viewer at https://jenningsin.wthgis.com/ for parcel research, which is useful for identifying the key numbers listed in the sale advertisement.
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 Jennings County, Indiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Jennings County follows Indiana's tax lien state system.
When is the Jennings County tax certificate sale?
- The most recent posted sale is the Commissioners' Certificate Sale, advertised as "Beginning 10:00 AM Local Time, February 12, 2026" and "by public auction on 02/12/2026 at 10:00 AM Courthouse Time at Commissioners' Meeting Room". The notice is dated 01/02/2026 and covers 345 parcels. Jennings County has not posted a date for its next annual tax sale under IC 6-1.1-24-5.. 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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