Randolph County, IN tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Randolph County, seat of Winchester: 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 Randolph County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Randolph County Treasurer, working with the Randolph County Auditor. The Treasurer's Office identifies the delinquent parcels, both officials apply to the Randolph County Circuit Court for the judgment and order of sale, and the Auditor certifies the published list and later issues the tax deed. The county contracts SRI Incorporated to administer the sale.
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Once a year, recently in October. The Treasurer's page states tax certificate sales "occur annually in Randolph County." The county's most recent tax sale notice reads "Beginning 10:00 AM Local Time, October 09, 2025" and "Such sale will be held on 10/09/2025 at the Randolph County Courthouse - Commissioners' Room, 3rd Floor and that sale will continue until all tracts and real property have been offered for sale." That notice was dated 08/26/2025, and the auditor and treasurer applied for the court judgment "on or after 09/22/2025." As of late July 2026 the county had not yet posted a notice for the 2026 tax sale, so confirm the current year's date with the Treasurer. A separate Commissioners' Certificate Sale for parcels that did not sell was advertised for "Beginning 10:00 AM Local Time, March 11, 2026" in the same courthouse room.
Registration and deposit
Register through SRI before the sale. The county notice states: "If you are interested in bidding on the tax sale for an Indiana county, you may register online at https://sriservices.com/. This registration is good for all counties that SRI services. You need to register only once for all counties." Bidders who cannot register online may register the morning of the sale. Bring the completed registration form and a W-9 (both printable from the registration site) on sale day, and arrive at least 30 minutes before the 10:00 AM start to receive a bid number. Under IC 6-1.1-24-5.1 a business entity must give the Randolph County Treasurer a Certificate of Existence or Foreign Registration Statement from the Indiana Secretary of State in accordance with IC 5-23. Each bidder must also affirm they owe no delinquent taxes, special assessments, penalties, interest, or prior tax sale costs in the county.
The annual tax sale is a live, in person auction at the Randolph County Courthouse, Commissioners' Room, 3rd Floor, at 10:00 AM local time. It is not an online auction by default. The notice reserves an electronic option: "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." Zeus Auction is SRI's electronic sale platform, so watch SRI's site for a format change before travelling. Bidding runs up from a minimum bid that covers the delinquent taxes and special assessments, the current year's taxes whether delinquent or not, all penalties, a $30 postage and publication charge plus other county costs directly attributable to the sale, and any unpaid costs from a prior tax sale. Redemption costs 110% of the minimum bid if redeemed within six months of the sale and 115% after six months, plus the amount by which the purchase price exceeded the minimum bid and 5% per annum interest on that overbid, plus 5% per annum on any taxes and special assessments the purchaser pays after the sale. The 2025 notice set the redemption deadline as "Friday, October 09, 2026 for certificates sold in the tax sale," and noted that for certificates struck to the county "the period of redemption may expire Friday, February 06, 2026." The county reserves the right to withhold parcels listed in error and warns that minimum bids "are prescribed by law and are subject to change prior to the auction date." A complete property list can also be obtained at www.sriservices.com or in an alternative form on request. Because publication now runs only once in the newspaper, the county directs bidders to https://www.in.gov/counties/randolph/ for subsequent notices.
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)
Randolph County Treasurer, 100 South Main Street, Room #103, Winchester, IN 47394
Official websiteNotes for Randolph County
- Two distinct certificate sales run in the same courthouse room. The annual tax sale (October in 2025) sells certificates on parcels certified delinquent. The Commissioners' Certificate Sale, advertised for March 11, 2026, sells certificates on parcels that did not sell at the annual sale, at prices the Commissioners set (many minimum bids were $200) under IC 6-1.1-24-6.1. The county states the redemption period there "must be within 90 days of the sale date," after which the certificate holder may obtain clear title through the Auditor's office.
- The Treasurer's page links a tax sale FAQ at sri-taxsale.com, but that domain no longer resolves. Use https://sriservices.com/ for FAQs, the property list, and bidder registration.
- Officeholders as listed on the Treasurer's page: Brenda Tharp, Treasurer (765) 584-8508; Tammy Pegg, Chief Deputy (765) 584-8412; Sheila Leach, Deputy (765) 584-0704. Email [email protected]. Office hours Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm, closed on major holidays and election days.
- Laura J. Martin, Randolph County Auditor, signed and certified both the 2025 tax sale list and the 2026 Commissioners' Certificate Sale list.
- The 2025 notice closed with "Total Properties: 98," a useful scale check for investors sizing this county.
- The notice cautions that the county "does not warrant the accuracy of the street address or common description of the property, and a misstatement in the key number or street address does not invalidate an otherwise valid sale." Parcels are frequently grouped, for example three Berry parcels that "are to be sold and redeemed together."
- Third-party aggregators such as taxlienuniversity.com, taxliens.com, and taxsaleresources.com index Randolph County but are not official sources. The county notice PDF and sriservices.com are the authoritative list sources.
- Defenses to the application for judgment must be filed with the Randolph County Circuit Court and served on the county auditor and treasurer before the date named in the notice (09/22/2025 for the 2025 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 Randolph County, Indiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Randolph County follows Indiana's tax lien state system.
When is the Randolph County tax certificate sale?
- Once a year, recently in October. The Treasurer's page states tax certificate sales "occur annually in Randolph County." The county's most recent tax sale notice reads "Beginning 10:00 AM Local Time, October 09, 2025" and "Such sale will be held on 10/09/2025 at the Randolph County Courthouse - Commissioners' Room, 3rd Floor and that sale will continue until all tracts and real property have been offered for sale." That notice was dated 08/26/2025, and the auditor and treasurer applied for the court judgment "on or after 09/22/2025." As of late July 2026 the county had not yet posted a notice for the 2026 tax sale, so confirm the current year's date with the Treasurer. A separate Commissioners' Certificate Sale for parcels that did not sell was advertised for "Beginning 10:00 AM Local Time, March 11, 2026" in the same courthouse room.. 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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