Miami County, IN tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Miami County, seat of Peru: 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 Miami County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Miami County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual, in early September. The county's 2026 notice opens "Beginning 01:30 PM Local Time, September 03, 2026" at the "Courthouse, 1st Floor G.A.R. Room". The 2024 sale opened at 10:00 AM on September 30, 2024. The county FAQ states "Real estate tax sales are generally held in the fall." The Treasurer certifies eligible parcels to the Auditor in the spring, and the 2026 notice says the auditor and treasurer "will apply on or after 08/17/2026" for the judgment and order of sale.
Registration and deposit
Bidders register with SRI online at https://sriservices.com/. The notice says that registration "is good for all counties that SRI services" and "You need to register only once for all counties." Print the registration form and IRS Form W-9 from that site and bring both on sale morning; the county FAQ confirms bidders "must register prior to the beginning of the tax sale, this is done on the day of the sale." The notice asks bidders to "arrive the morning of the tax sale at least 30 minutes before the beginning time" to receive a bid number. Under IC 6-1.1-24-5.1, a business entity must provide the Miami County Treasurer a Certificate of Existence or Foreign Registration Statement from the Secretary of State.
The annual Miami County tax sale is a live courthouse auction, so no online bidding platform is confirmed for it. The notice reserves a fallback only: if local officials switch formats, "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", and "All location updates will be posted at www.sriservices.com prior to the tax sale." Confirm the format with the Treasurer before travelling. A separate sale, the Miami County Commissioners' Certificate Sale, which reoffers certificates struck to the county at reduced minimum bids, is held fully online at www.zeusauction.com; the February 21, 2025 edition opened at 9:00 AM local time and began closing at 4:00 PM. The notice states "A complete property list may be obtained at www.sriservices.com or in an alternative form upon request." Redemption on certificates sold at the 2026 sale runs to September 3, 2027, at 110 percent of the minimum bid if redeemed within six months of the sale and 115 percent after, plus the overbid amount and 5 percent per year interest on the overbid and on any subsequent taxes the buyer pays. A certificate does not convey title; the Miami County Auditor issues the tax deed. Live in-person auction at the Miami County Courthouse, 1st Floor G.A.R. Room, Peru. SRI Incorporated administers the sale mechanics and bidder registration for the county.
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 Miami County
- Miami County runs two distinct sales. The annual tax sale is live at the courthouse in early September. The Commissioners' Certificate Sale reoffers unsold certificates online at Zeus Auction with reduced minimum bids and a shorter redemption window.
- Minimum bid at the annual sale is the full amount owed through the current year, per the county FAQ: "the minimum bid is the total amount owed on the parcel through the current year."
- The 2026 notice is dated July 15, 2026 and signed by Annette Phillippo, Auditor, Miami County, Indiana. Defenses to the judgment had to be filed with the Miami County Superior 1 Court before August 17, 2026.
- Parcel lists appear only once in a local newspaper. The notice says "Subsequent notices can be found at https://www.miamicountyin.gov/", so recheck the county site and www.sriservices.com close to the sale date.
- Redemption on certificates struck to the county at the 2026 sale may expire as early as January 4, 2027, per the notice.
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 Miami County, Indiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Miami County follows Indiana's tax lien state system.
When is the Miami County tax certificate sale?
- Annual, in early September. The county's 2026 notice opens "Beginning 01:30 PM Local Time, September 03, 2026" at the "Courthouse, 1st Floor G.A.R. Room". The 2024 sale opened at 10:00 AM on September 30, 2024. The county FAQ states "Real estate tax sales are generally held in the fall." The Treasurer certifies eligible parcels to the Auditor in the spring, and the 2026 notice says the auditor and treasurer "will apply on or after 08/17/2026" for the judgment and order of sale.. 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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