Washington County, IN tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Washington County, seat of Salem: 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 Washington County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Washington County Treasurer together with the Washington County Auditor, with SRI Incorporated handling bidder registration and the published property list
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The county's most recent notice set the sale for "Beginning 10:00 AM Local Time, October 08, 2025" and states "Such sale will be held on 10/08/2025 at the Courthouse - 2nd Floor Old Circuit Courtroom." That notice is dated 08/26/2025, so Washington County advertises in late August and sells in early October. No date for the next sale was posted when this was checked, so confirm the current year's date with the Treasurer.
Registration and deposit
Bidders register with SRI at sriservices.com. The notice says "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," and that bidders without internet access may register the morning of the sale. Bring the completed registration form and a W-9, printable from the registration site, and arrive at least 30 minutes before the 10:00 AM start to be sure of getting a bid number. Under IC 6-1.1-24-5.1 a business entity bidding at the Washington County tax sale must provide a Certificate of Existence or Foreign Registration Statement from the Secretary of State to the Washington County Treasurer.
Washington County holds the sale in person at the courthouse, not online, so plan to attend. The notice adds that "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 for a normal year, so verify the format and location with the Treasurer before traveling. The notice also states a complete property list may be obtained at www.sriservices.com or in an alternative form on request. Each year's advertised list is filed in the county document center under the Treasurer's Office heading. Live in-person auction at the Washington County Courthouse, 2nd floor old circuit courtroom, Salem
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 Washington County
- The minimum bid is set by statute and covers the delinquent taxes and special assessments on the parcel, the taxes and assessments due and payable in the year of the sale, all penalties on the delinquencies, an auditor-prescribed amount of $85 for postage and publication plus any other costs directly attributable to the tax sale, and any unpaid costs from a prior tax sale under IC 6-1.1-24-2(c). The notice warns that minimum bid amounts are subject to change before the auction date.
- Redemption costs 110% of the minimum bid if paid within six months of the sale and 115% if paid more than six months after the sale, plus the amount by which the purchase price exceeded the minimum bid with 5% per annum interest on that excess, plus any taxes and special assessments the purchaser paid after the sale with 5% per annum interest.
- For the October 8, 2025 sale the notice set the redemption deadline at Thursday, October 8, 2026 for certificates sold at the sale, and stated that for certificates struck to the county the redemption period may expire Thursday, February 5, 2026.
- The county auditor and county treasurer applied for a court judgment on or after 09/19/2025. Any defense to the application had to be filed with the Washington County Circuit Court and served on the auditor and treasurer before that date.
- The Auditor and Treasurer reserve the right to withhold any parcel listed in error or that otherwise becomes ineligible before or during the sale, and the county does not warrant the accuracy of street addresses or common descriptions.
- Under IC 6-1.1-24-3(e) property descriptions may be omitted for parcels that appear on the certified list in consecutive years, so the advertised list can be thinner than the actual inventory.
- Tax deeds and post-sale paperwork run through the Washington County Auditor, Kyra Stephenson, 99 Public Square Suite 103, Salem, IN 47167, phone 812-883-4805. Both offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm.
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 Washington County, Indiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Washington County follows Indiana's tax lien state system.
When is the Washington County tax certificate sale?
- The county's most recent notice set the sale for "Beginning 10:00 AM Local Time, October 08, 2025" and states "Such sale will be held on 10/08/2025 at the Courthouse - 2nd Floor Old Circuit Courtroom." That notice is dated 08/26/2025, so Washington County advertises in late August and sells in early October. No date for the next sale was posted when this was checked, so confirm the current year's date with the Treasurer.. 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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